Cerebral Palsy
No controlled studies on this condition have been done. Several descriptive accounts report improvements following acupuncture treatment. One study reported that children with dystonic features and hyperkinetic cerebral palsy were helped by direct needling to areas of muscle spasm, with long-lasting results even after a short course of treatment (Sanner & Sundequist 1981). Other studies have shown improvement in cerebral and peripheral blood flow dynamics with acupuncture (Xiang et al 1996, Sveberg et al 2001).
In China, the youngest patient we treated was a two-year-old girl with CP who showed remarkable improvement after a series of acupuncture treatments.
Svedberg LE, Nordahl UE, Lundeberg TC. 2001. Effects of acupuncture on skin temperature in children with neurological disorders and cold feet: an exploratory study. Complement Ther Med 2001 Jun;9(2):89-97.
Shi B, Bu H, Lin L. A clinical study on acupuncture treatment of pediatric cerebral palsy. J Tradit Chin Med 1992 Mar;12(1):45-51.
Shaitor IN, Bogdanov OV, Shaitor VM. The combined use of functional biocontrol and acupuncture reflexotherapy in children with the spastic forms of infantile cerebral palsy. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 1990 Nov-Dec;(6):38-42
Zhou XJ, Chen T, Chen JT. 75 infantile palsy children treated with acupuncture, acupressure and functional training. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi 1993 Apr;13(4):220-2, 197
Xiang L, Wang H, Li Z. TCD observation on cerebral blood flow dynamics inference of cerebral palsy with scalp therapy. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu 1996;21(4):7-9.
Svedberg LE, Nordahl UE, Lundeberg TC. Effects of acupuncture on skin temperature in children with neurological disorders and cold feet: an exploratory study. Complement Ther Med 2001 Jun;9(2):89-97. Six children with cold feet associated with cerebral palsy, progressive encephalopathy or Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome were treated with acupuncture. RESULTS: “Three children displayed a brief rise in temperature in the hands and one in the feet. A tendency towards a cumulative effect in improved skin temperature occurred in two of three children receiving additional sessions. One child did not respond to acupuncture. It is possible that acupuncture may increase skin temperature in some children with cold extremities of neurological origin. Studies in larger groups are needed.”
Semenova KA, Zhukovskaia ED, Pol'skoi VV. Clinico-biochemical indicators of the effectiveness of acupuncture in children with cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia) during the first 2 years of life. Pediatriia 1985 Oct;(10):58-60.
Sanner C, Sundequist U. Acupuncture for the relief of painful muscle spasms in dystonic cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 1981 Aug;23(4):544-5 RESULTS: Four children aged 11-18 years with dystonic features and hyperkinetic cerebral palsy were helped by direct needling to areas of muscle spasm, with long-lasting results even after a short course of treatment
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