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Spastic cerebral palsy is a common form of the condition in children, frequently causing stiffness and impaired movement in the lower limbs, including the feet and ankles. Standard rehabilitation approaches such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy are the usual care, but researchers investigated whether adding a specific Tuina (motor developmental treatment) protocol could enhance outcomes further.
In this 12-week randomised controlled trial, 56 children diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy were divided into two groups. One group received standard comprehensive rehabilitation alone, while the other received the same rehabilitation plus Tuina-based motor developmental therapy. Both groups were treated three times per week. Researchers assessed muscle tone using the Modified Ashworth Scale, ankle range of motion with a goniometer, tibial torsion angle via Ryder’s test, and muscle activity in the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior using surface electromyography.
Both groups showed improvements in active ankle range of motion and reduced gastrocnemius tension after the intervention. However, the group receiving Tuina alongside standard rehabilitation achieved significantly better results across measures, including improved muscle activation and coordination in both assessed muscles, as recorded by surface electromyography.
Conclusion: This small trial suggests that integrating Tuina-based motor developmental therapy with standard rehabilitation may offer meaningful additional benefits for foot and ankle function in children with spastic cerebral palsy, though larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Source: Song WS, Lu P, Hu QL and colleagues. Complementary therapies in medicine (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 41921917) · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2026.103373