Development of an acupuncture protocol for cerebral palsy

In Australia, acupuncture is not commonly employed as a rehabilitative choice for children with cerebral palsy CP, whereas in China it is a standard practice. This report provides a preliminary protocol for acupuncturists treating children with CP. It also considers the safety and efficacy of acupuncture in paediatric healthcare. The Delphi method was chosen to systematically combine expert opinions and achieve a group consensus in the formulation of a CP protocol. Acupuncture was considered by the experts to be beneficial in CP. Any adverse effects of acupuncture, as highlighted by the Delphi method, were determined to be minimal and the majority of risks able to be mitigated by appropriate training and caution, reduction in acupuncture stimulation strength, and decreased needle retention time. Further research is required to ascertain the benefits acupuncture may provide to children with CP.