Review of Literature on the Treatment of Infantile Cerebral Palsy by Scalp Acupuncture

Scalp acupuncture has been widely applied to clinical treatment of infantile cerebral palsy. It mainly includes Jiao's, Tang's, Jing's and Lin's schools of scalp acupuncture. This article arranges literature published in recent years and discusses the theoretical basis for point formation and its practical characteristics in different systems of scalp acupuncture. It has been found: (1) The theory on which the distribution and formation of point areas were based is different, including Zang Xiang, and cerebral function location and neurophysiology in modern medicine. (2) The theory about point prescription, the depth of needle insertion, needling manipulation and the time for needle retention have different characteristics in different schools. (3) In the selection of scalp acupuncture system, generally one school was used as a main method, but in some cases two or more methods were also combined for use. To improve the clinical effect of scalp acupuncture on infantile cerebral palsy and further standardize its application, strict and scientific design and comparative observation of the combined application modes and performing procedures in different systems of scalp acupuncture are urgently needed in clinical research.