Abdominal Massage to Improve Motor Dysfunction in Rats with Cerebral Palsy

We have outlined normal massage techniques to alleviate the symptoms of cerebral palsy in juvenile rats. Currently, there are few animal studies on using massage therapy to improve symptoms of cerebral palsy. However, we have found promising results from abdominal massage in young rats that may improve their manipulation abilities.

There has been limited research on how massage can improve cerebral palsy. However, we have established animal models and massage techniques that can facilitate future research on the mechanism of massage in cerebral palsy. Traditional therapy is crucial for cerebral palsy.

Studying relevant mechanism after stabilizing massage techniques on animals can advance research. Chinese massage competitively impacts the growth and development of cerebral palsy, so we will focus on the method of Chinese massage in cerebral palsy. Begin by dividing 18 male Sprague Dawley rat pups seven days post-birth into three groups, sham, model, and massage.

Apply pet eye ointment and eyedrops to the anesthetized pups to prevent dryness in their eyes. Disinfect the neck skin of the rats with iodophor, followed by 75%ethanol, then make a longitudinal incision approximately 0.5 centimeters long in the center of the juvenile rat's neck. Carefully separate the right subcutaneous tissue, exposing the common carotid artery.

In the model and massage groups, separate the common carotid artery and the vagus nerve. Coagulate the common carotid artery, employing an electric coagulation gun. After confirming the absence of bleeding, suture the skin layer by layer, and disinfect the surgical incision again.

For the sham group, separate the common carotid artery without treatment. Suture the skin layer by layer, then disinfect the surgical incision. Once the young rat crawls unrestricted, place it beside its mother.

After disinfecting the operated model and massage group rats, house them on a 37 degree Celsius insulation pad and consistently monitor for any signs of bleeding from the wound or eye inflammation. Place the young rats in an open hypoxia chamber and observe for one hour until they regain consciousness. After recovery from anesthesia, move the young rats into a closed anoxic device for a hypoxia period of three hours.

Following the hypoxic treatment, return the awake young rat to its mother. Then disinfect the surgical instruments and clean the hypoxic chamber with alcohol. Post-surgery, clean the young rat with iodophor to prevent infection.

Monitor the wound daily for signs of infection and employ sterile padding as needed. Once the model is successfully established, maintain the model group under normal conditions and apply the manual intervention to the massage group. Afterward, place each group of rats next to the mother rats on sterile and high-temperature bedding, and monitor them for one to two hours until the mother rats feed the offspring.

Perform daily observations to check for bleeding at the wound site and any signs of eye inflammation until the wound fully heals. To begin massage manipulation, in the cerebral palsy rat model, first set the desired forces for pressing and rubbing. After hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy induction on the second day, carefully remove the young massage group rats from the cage with minimal disturbance to the maternal rats.

Before massage, warm up hands by rubbing them slightly to match the skin temperature of the young rats. Position the young rat comfortably within the palm of the left hand. Gently stroke the rat's back from head to tail with the threaded surface of four fingers, for one minute, to quiet it.

Then rub the abdomen of the right thumb and forefinger back and forth. Massage the forelimb from the proximal to the distal end for approximately 30 seconds. Apply pressure on the Quchi, Waiguan, and Hegu points 10 times, for one second each.

Next, rub the hind legs, starting with the proximal, to the distal end for approximately 30 seconds, Press Yanglingquan, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, and Taichong points 10 times, for one second, each lasting approximately five minutes in total. Then, using the right thumb, press on Zhongwan, Tianshu, and Guanyuan 10 times, for approximately one second each, with the entire process lasting one minute. Now hold the young rat in a prone position and apply pressure, using the right thumb, on the Zhongwan point located on the abdomen.

Keep the navel of the rat as the center, and rotate the thumb 120 times per minute, for about five minutes, in a clockwise direction. Using the right hand's four fingers, gently stroke the rat from its head to its tail, using the thread-like surface to calm it down. Once calm, place the young rat back in the cage and allow the mother to feed it.

After a span of two weeks to 40 days, administer regular rat massage therapy to all the acupoints shown earlier. Next, weigh the young rats daily from day 7 to day 40. Place each young rat on the balance beam, directing it towards a black box at the opposite end.

Conduct balance beam training for the subject on days 37 to 39, three times daily, and a concluding test on day 40. Record the time it takes for each rat to cross the balance beam and the frequency of hind limb slips. After ischemia and hypoxia modeling, the growth rate of body weight in the model group decreased significantly.

Massage therapy significantly improved it, suggesting that massage improves the growth and development of young rats with cerebral palsy. The balance beam test results showed that the model group took longer to cross the beam than the sham and massage groups. In contrast, the number of hind limb slips significantly decreased in the massage group compared with the model group.