Can children with spastic cerebral palsy use self-hypnosis to reduce muscle tone? a preliminary study

Abstract

A few scattered reports suggest self-hypnosis may be helpful in reducing muscle tone in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). These reports are largely anecdotal and offer little objective evidence. This study used the Biocomp 2000 biofeedback electomyogram device to measure the degree of muscle tension in two muscle groups before, during, and after hypnosis in four children with spastic quadriplegic CP. Three of the four children were able to show a very significant decrease in muscle tension while under “trance” and were able to use self-relaxation techniques when confronted with stressful situations. Two of the children also had athetoid or involuntary movements and each was able to better control those movements with the aid of hypnosis. All four children demonstrated improved functional abilities.