Therapeutic Observation of Electroacupuncture plus Moxibustion for Infantile Cerebral Palsy / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture plus moxibustion in treating infantile cerebral palsy. Method Eighty eligible patients with infantile cerebral palsy were randomized into a treatment group of 42 cases and a control group of 38 cases. The control group was intervened by physiotherapy (PT), while the treatment group was given electroacupuncture at scalp acupoints, body acupuncture, and moxibustion along the Governor Vessel in addition to the treatment given to the control group. The two groups were treated once a day, 6 months in total. The comprehensive ability and the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) were evaluated before and after the interventions in the two groups, and the clinical efficacies were compared.Result After 6-month treatment, the total effective rate was 92.9% in the treatment group versus 78.9% in the control group, and the total effective rate of the treatment group was superior to that of the control group (P<0.05). The motor function and activities of daily living were significantly improved in both groups after the interventions (P<0.05,P<0.01); after the treatment, there were significant differences in comparing the motor function and activities of daily living between the two groups (P<0.05). The GMFM scores of each domain were significantly changed after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05); after the treatment, there were significant differences in comparing the GMFM scores of each domain between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with being used alone, conventional PT can more significantly benefit the improvement of motor function of cerebral palsy patients when electroacupuncture and moxibustion were added.