title: [Randomized controlled clinical trials for acupuncture treatment of spastic cerebral palsy children by bilateral horizontal puncturing from Yuzhen (BL 9) to Tianzhu (BL 10)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of acupuncture of the body surface projection region of the pyramidal decussationes on spastic cerebral palsy (CP) so as to explore an effective therapy for it.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 CP infant patients were randomized into control group (treated with modern rehabilitation training, n = 60) and acupuncture group (treated with acupuncture combined with modern rehabilitation training, n = 60). Four acupuncture needles were penetrated subcutaneously through the region between Yuzhen (BL 9) and Tianzhu (BL 10)equidistantly (the superficial projection region of the pyramidal decussationes), once daily for 3 months. The modified Ashworth rating, gross motor function measure (GMFM)-88 scores and synthetic function scale were adopted to assess the therapeutic effect after the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the treatment, of the 59 and 58 CP children in the control and acupuncture groups, 17 (28.81%) and 26 (44.83%) experienced marked improvement in their symptoms, 33 (55.84%) and 27 (46.55%) had an improvement, 9 (15.25%) and 5 (8.62%) failed in the treatment, with the total effective rates being 84.75% and 91.38%, respectively. The effective rate of the acupuncture group was significantly superior to that of the control group (P < 0.05). The scores of modified Ashworth rating and GMFM-88 of the control group were significantly lower than those of the acupuncture group after the treatment (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture combined with modern rehabilitation training is effective in the treatment of CP children patients.
authors.affiliation: Center of DME, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China. doctorqiang1979@126.com
authors.forename: Sheng-Qiang
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-Xiong
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Gang-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Peng-Cheng
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male