How should cerebral palsy in children be treated well in Beijing?

Patient's question:

Please ask if one month before pregnancy, you took Tamoxifen tablets for 10 days, taking 2 tablets per day. After pregnancy, everything was normal. There was no exposure to toxic or harmful substances, and no infection occurred. The child born has congenital brain development disorders. Is this caused by taking Tamoxifen one month before pregnancy?

Doctor's answer:

Introduction
Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders affecting movement, muscle tone, or posture caused by damage that occurs to the developing brain, usually before, during, or shortly after birth. It is often associated with intellectual disability, hearing and vision impairments, and learning difficulties, and is more common in premature infants. Modern medicine attributes the causes of this condition to factors such as brain hypoxia, difficult labor, birth injuries, intracranial hemorrhage due to cerebrovascular diseases, various intracranial malformations, congenital hydrocephalus, severe nutritional deficiencies in the early stages of pregnancy, or exposure to radiation. All of these can lead to cerebral palsy.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers cerebral palsy to fall under the category of "Five Delays" (delayed standing, delayed walking, delayed hair growth, delayed speech, and delayed tooth eruption). It is believed to result from congenital deficiencies in parents' qi and blood, leading to weakened physical constitution in infants after birth, or improper postnatal care and prolonged illness, which can deplete the liver and kidneys and lead to insufficient qi and blood, ultimately causing the condition.
Common symptoms primarily include central paralysis, which can manifest in various forms such as quadriplegia or hemiplegia (more often on the right side than the left), or paraplegia. Mild cases may only show slight lower limb weakness and an unsteady gait, with clumsy hand movements. Additional abnormal movements, such as athetosis or choreatic movements, may also occur.
Massage Methods
Massage Method 1
1. Common Techniques
(1) Rub the Spleen Meridian 300 times and the Kidney Meridian 300 times.
(2) With the child lying on their back, the parent uses the palm to circle the Zhongwan point in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction for 1 minute each.
(3) Gently lift and pinch both Jianjing points (shoulder well) 5–10 times.
(4) Use the fingers to massage the Quchi, Hegu, Yanglingquan, and Zusanli points for 1 minute each.
(5) With the child lying on their stomach, the parent taps the muscles along both sides of the spine (back, waist, and sacral region) 5–10 times using an empty palm. The stimulation should be slightly strong, followed by gentle rubbing with the palm root over the aforementioned areas for 3 rounds.
(6) With the child lying on their back, use the thumb and the other four fingers to knead the muscles of the limbs for 2–5 minutes of repeated operations.
2. Adjustments Based on Symptoms
(1) Liver and Kidney Deficiency Type: Symptoms include pale complexion, lack of vitality in the eyes, intellectual delay, delayed standing, walking, and tooth development, even flaccid limbs. The fontanelle is wide and difficult to close. Tongue appearance: pale red with a thin white coating.
- Add: Rub the Liver Meridian 100 times, the Kidney Meridian to 400 times.
- Use the fingers to massage the Ganshu (Liver Bladder 23) and Shenshu (Kidney Bladder 23) points for 1 minute each.
- Massage the Taixi (Kidney 3) point for 1 minute.
- Use the palm to rub the child's lateral costal margins 1–3 times.
(2) Heart Qi Deficiency Type: Symptoms include pale complexion, poor intellect, dullness, delayed language development, flaccid limbs, or tremors in the hands and feet. Tongue appearance: pale with a thin white coating.
- Add: Rub the Heart Meridian 300 times.
- Massage the Zangzhong (Pericardium 17) and Neiguan (Pericardium 6) points for 1 minute each.
- Use the fingers to massage the Xinshu (Heart Bladder 15) and Juwen (Heart Bladder 8) points for 1 minute each.
(3) Qi and Blood Deficiency Type: Symptoms include flaccid limbs, unsteady gait, pale complexion, listlessness, fatigue, thin and yellow hair. Tongue appearance: pale with a thin white coating.
- Add: Rub the Spleen Meridian to 500 times and the Sanjian (Large Intestine 4) to 300 times.
- Perform 5–7 back massages.
- Massage the Xuehai (Spleen 10) point 20 times and the Fuyang (Spleen 9) point 20 times.
- Pinch the Sihengwen (Large Intestine 4) points 10 times and massage the Banmen (Large Intestine 5) point for 30 seconds.
Massage Method 2
1. Common Techniques
(1) With the child lying on their stomach, the parent stands on one side and uses the massage technique on both sides of the spine, focusing on the Bishu points (Bladder 1-12). Perform 3–5 upward and downward strokes.
(2) Use the thumb to massage both sides of the spine, extending downward to the buttocks and back of the thighs, with a focus on the Huantiao (Gluteus maximus), Weizhong (Bladder 40), and Chengshan (Bladder 36) points. Simultaneously, perform passive stretching of the lumbar spine and hip joints for 3–5 minutes of repeated operations.
(3) With the child lying on their back, use the kneading technique starting from the shoulder joint along the lateral aspect of the upper arm, through the elbow to the wrist, with a focus on the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. Repeat 1–3 times.
(4) Use the rubbing and kneading techniques on the shoulder, upper arm, and wrist for 3–5 rounds.
(5) Use the kneading technique along the front of the thigh and lateral aspect of the lower leg, while simultaneously massaging the knee joint with the palm. Repeat 3–5 times.
(6) Use the thumb tip to massage the Yanglingquan (GB 34), Zusanli (ST 36), Juegu (GB 39), and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) points for 10–15 times each.
(7) Use a stronger force to massage the distal phalanges of the child's fingers and toes for 3–5 times each.
Lifestyle Adjustments
(1) Cerebral palsy is caused by fixed brain lesions, making treatment challenging. However, early detection and appropriate treatment can help reduce functional impairments.
(2) Strengthen care by providing the child with easily digestible, nutrient-rich foods such as eggs, lean meat, fish, millet porridge, and milk. Encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
(3) Engage the child in reasonable functional exercises, such as daily living skills training, language training, and measures to prevent muscle contractures.
(4) Children with cerebral palsy often have weakened immune systems, so it is important to avoid contact with individuals suffering from infectious or acute infectious diseases.
(5) In addition to bedtime massages, parents can follow the above methods and add 1–2 additional treatments during the day to support the healing process.