THE FOLLOWING ARE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED BY THE WASHINGTON ACUPUNCTURE CENTER. CEREBRAL PALSY Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the brain before, during or soon after birth Its comparatively high incidence in the United States may be related to the excessive use of obstetrical forceps and anesthetics which injure babies brains. Babies with cerebral palsy may appear normal during the first few weeks or months of life but usually have difficulty nursing, vomit frequently and are generally irritable. The diagnosis of cerebral palsy is usually made after the child has failed to sit up, crawl or walk at the expected time. About 25% of them have convulsions, especially with febrile disease to which they are very susceptible. Cases of cerebral palsy are divided into three types in accordance with the part of the brain which is thought to be more seriously damaged, but many have symptoms of more than one type. The "spastic" type have muscle spasms of their arms and legs which interfere with their walking or using their arms and hands effectively. Spasticity is associated with damage to the cerebral cortex. The 'ataxic" type have difficulty maintaining their balance and are thought to have cerebellar damage. The "athetoid" type make purposeless involuntary movements which are indicative of damage to the basal ganglia. Although people with cerebral palsy have brain damage and may not speak, write or perform manual tasks well, they may have high intelligence and are usually very sociable. Drugs and surgery are generally ineffective and may aggravate symptoms as well as producing other undesirable symptoms. Acupuncture is effective in reducing muscle spasms and improving coordination. Many children whose parents had been told they would never be able to walk have become able to as the result of acupuncture treatments. Significant improvement is usually apparent by the time ten treatments have been given, but many more treatments may be needed for maximum benefit. Most children object to needle insertion at first but become very cooperative after they discover that it is not very painful and is helping them control their muscles. next