Acupuncture and Tuina Treatment for Gross Motor Function in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Monocentric Clinical Study

• Published in: Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment 2023-10, Vol.19, p.1875-1886
• Main Authors: Wang, Xing, Teh, Siew Hoon, Du, Xiao-Gang, Wang, Xing-Hua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Care and treatment; Causes of; Cerebral palsy; children's functional independence rating scale; Clinical Trial Report; Complications and side effects; gross motor function; modified ashworth muscle tension scale; Movement disorders; Pediatric research; the 6-minute walking distance measurement
• ISSN: 1178-2021; 1176-6328; 1178-2021
• DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S424102

Objective: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition characterized by abnormal pronunciation, posture, and movement, particularly spastic CP, which involves Gross motor dysfunction due to increased muscle tone and stiffness. This monocentric clinical study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture and tuina (AT) in improving gross motor function and alleviating associated symptoms in children diagnosed with spastic CP. Methods: A total of 83 eligible patients received AT treatment, while 85 patients received conventional rehabilitation treatment. Both groups underwent a 12-week treatment period following the research protocol. Pre- and post-treatment assessments included the Modified Ashworth Muscle Tension Scale (MAS), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-D and GMFM-E), 6-min walking distance measurement (6MWD), and Modified Children's Functional Independence Rating Scale (WeeFIM). Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, when compared with baseline, the scores of MAS in both AT group and control group are decreased (p