J Tradit Chin Med. 1994 Sep; 14(3): 180-4.

Prompt pressure applied to peculiar points in the treatment of spasmodic infantile cerebral palsy--a report of 318 cases.

Lu W.

Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing.

Infantile cerebral palsy is a nonprogressive central motor disturbance of varied etiology. The spasmodic type is its main form, accounting for 50-60% of the infants afflicted with the disease. The causal factors include multifarious conditions arising during parturition and in the pre- and postnatal periods. As yet there is no specific treatment for the disease. We have used a method of applying prompt pressure to peculiar points in treating it and received satisfactory results. The present group comprised 318 patients treated for the disease by the method of prompt pressure applied to peculiar points combined with appropriate orthopedic manipulations, resulting in a 73.27% rate of good to excellent therapeutic effect. Follow-up exam was done in 52 cases, among which the efficacy was assessed as stable in 21 cases, and the remaining 31 cases as being in an improved condition. Infantile peculiar points are points peculiar to infants, mostly located in the head and extremities, and constitute an important component part of the treasure-house of traditional Chinese medicine. The method recommended here is simple and convenient, causing little pain in the invalid yet showing a marked therapeutic effect, and therefore can be regarded as a new way for treating infantile cerebral palsy.