• Acupuncture Can Help With Cerebral Palsy

  • Acupuncture Can Help With Cerebral Palsy

    Researchers have found that electro-acupuncture in addition to moxibustion can boost the clinical effective rate of physiotherapy to treat infantile cerebral palsy. Researchers at Binzhou City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital studied a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy with standard physiotherapy. The result? Patients who got both TCM care and physiotherapy experienced better patient outcomes vs. those getting just the physiotherapy.

    Study Details

    The physiotherapy control group had an effective rate of 78.9 percent, while the TCM care and physiotherapy treatment group had an effective rate of 92.9 percent. Adding TCM care to physiotherapy elevated the total effective rate by 14 percent.

    The study included 80 patients in treatment groups and control groups, with both receiving identical physiotherapy. The treatment group additionally got acupuncture and moxibustion therapy as well as physiotherapy. Moxibustion was used as a supplement to manual acupuncture treatment.

    Both groups were similar in gender and age. For physiotherapy regimens, patients underwent one to two hour sessions conducted once a day for five straight days, with two days off. The trial lasted six months.

    The treatment group also got scalp and body style acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and moxibustion. All patients received Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) assessments before and after treatment to determine changes in gross motor function in children suffering from cerebral palsy.

    Results

    The treatment group had better patient outcomes than the control group. Researchers found that physiotherapy combined with electroacupuncture and moxa is much better than using physiotherapy alone.

    In a related study from the Neijiang Second People’s Hospital, researchers concluded that acupuncture and massotherapy (medical or therapeutic treatment by massage) can alleviate drooling and improve quality of life for cerebral palsy patients. Those who were treated with acupuncture and massotherapy did much better than those who did not receive acupuncture or massotherapy. They experienced less drooling and showed improvements in fine motor movements, adaptive behavior, and social behavior. They were also better able to eat meals independently.

    The conclusion is that acupuncture is an effective complement to medical care for patients suffering from cerebral palsy.

    Contact Metro Detroit Acupuncture

    Contact Marino Moutafis, the founder and owner of Metro Detroit Acupuncture in Southeast Michigan, at 248-432-2846 to learn more. Mr. Moutafis is a nationally certified acupuncturist and licensed by the Michigan Board of Acupuncture. We are Detroit’s leading acupuncture and pain management clinic.