Cerebral palsy is a non progressive neuromuscular disorder of cerebral origin. 2-3%children are affected by cerebral palsy. Crores of people are suffering from cerebral palsy and are supposed to live like handicapped people. 50% of this group can walk without assistance but 30%are unable to walk without calipers or support; 20% children are unable to walk even with the support and they are confined to bed. There is no proper treatment or remedy for cerebral palsy so these patients and their family members are supposed to live life in misery. It is very difficult to provide medical care to such a big number of patients of cerebral palsy. There is no treatment available in modern medical science. Usually cerebral palsy takes place due to different causes of trauma to the brain. Due to hypoxic condition a number of degenerative changes take place in the brain so the function of brain gets affected. In addition to these mani cause some other causes of cerebral palsy are important, like infection, low level of glucose in blood , hyperbililrubimia and other metabolic lesions.
There is quite a variation in the clinical symptomatology. The symptoms are according to the severity and site of lesion. Motor disorders of brain are due to disordered development of brain, birth trauma, birth anoxia and metabolic disturbances.
It is important to know that it is not a familial disease. The variation of symptoms in 50% self ambulates, and 30% impaired ambulated patients is as follows:-
1. 65% cases are spastic due to involvement of the motor cortex and pyramidal system.
2. Neural damage include abnormal reflexes.
3. Hyper excitability. (Hyper activity)
4. Firm grasp reflex.
5. Spasm of adductor muscles manifest as scissoring of the lower limbs (crossed leg).
6. Quadriplegia and diplegia-lower limb more severely involved. In Pseudobulbar Palsy:- Difficulty of swallowing, drooling, inspite of hypotonia the tendon reflexes are brisk and Babinski response is positive.
In Extra pyramidal involvement:- Usually cerebral damage following bilirubin encephatopathy
• Asthetosis
• Choreiform movement
• Tremors and rigidity-Arms, legs, neck $ trunk may be involved.
In Cerebellar involvement: – in 50% cases, hypotonia, hyporeflexia, ataxia, intention tremors, nystagmus is unusual.
Mixed type: – Associated features are in eyes- Strabismus, paralysis of gaze, cataracts, coloboma, and retrolental fibroplasia, perceptual and refractory errors.
In ear: -partial and complete loss of hearing, brain damage due to rubella, may lead to receptive auditory defects.
Speech- Aphasia, dysarthria, dyslalia, dyskinetics, scissors are common and intelligence level is affected.
There is no treatment available in the modern medical science apart from:
1. Symptomatic treatment of scissors.
2. Tranquilization for behaviour.
3. Muscle relaxants.
4. Physiotherapy, massage, exercise, hydro therapy.
5. Occupational therapy, speech therapy and rehabilitation.
In these circumstances marma therapy is a boon for patients of cerebral palsy. It is a miraculous way of treatment which gives instant and permanent results in this disease. Diagnosed cases of cerebral palsy are selected for the marma therapy. Marmas of upper and lower extremities, back and head are stimulated accordingly. Spasticity decreases in a couple of sessions of marma therapy. Some impaired ambulatory children can walk easily with a few sessions. Scissoring of leg is also decreased along with drooling and other associated symptoms. The instant regression of symptoms generates the ray of hope in the eyes of patient and their family members.
Marmas of extremities- kshipra, tala Hridaya, kucha, kurchasira,galpha/ manibandha, indravasti, janu/ kurpara, ani, urvi, marma of back, amsa marma amsaphalaka, vrihati, parsvasandhi, katika- tarun.
Marma of head- Apanga, avarta, utkshepa, samkha, vidhura.