Cerebral palsy symptoms in children decreased following massage therapy

Authors: Hernandez-Reif, Maria¹; Field, Tiffany¹; Largie, Shay¹; Diego, Miguel¹; Manigat, Natasha¹; Seoanes, Jacqueline¹; Bornstein, Joan²

Source: Early Child Development and Care, Volume 175, Number 5, July 2005 , pp. 445-456(12)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Twenty young children (mean age?=?32 months) with cerebral palsy (CP) recruited from early intervention programs received 30 minutes of massage or reading twice weekly for 12 weeks. The children receiving massage therapy showed fewer physical symptoms including reduced spasticity, less rigid muscle tone overall and in the arms, and improved fine and gross motor functioning. In addition, the massage group had improved cognition, social and dressing scores on the Developmental Profile, and they showed more positive facial expressions and less limb activity during face-to-face play interactions. These findings suggest that massage therapy attenuates physical symptoms associated with CP, enhances development and should be considered as an early intervention for children with CP.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Massage therapy; Spasticity; Muscle tone; Development

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/0300443042000230546

Affiliations: 1: University of Miami School of Medicine, USA 2: Easter Seal Society, USA

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