Effect of Dohsa-hou psycho-rehabilitation method on the gross motor activity of children aged 12-4 years old with spastic cerebral palsy: A randomized double-blinded clinical trial

Introduction: There are various methods for managing and treating motor problems in children with cerebral palsy, which their  effectiveness can be measured in muscle tone, gross motor skills, and voluntary movements. Among these intervention methods, Dohsa-Hou treatment approach was designed to affect the motor function of children with cerebral palsy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of this approach specifically on gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 24 children with spastic cerebral palsy (aged 4 to 14 years) were randomly assigned to experimental (n=12) and control (n=12) groups. The experimental group received a combination of Dohsa-Hou psycho-motor relaxation therapy with routine occupational therapy interventions and the control group received only routine occupational therapy interventions. Dohsa-Hou method was performed in 16 sessions twice a week for 45 minutes. The gross motor performance scale version 66 was used for the assesement gross motor function, and the Ashworth Muscle Tone Scale was used for measuring muscle spasticity. Results: Based on pre-intervention evaluations, it was found that children in the experimental and control groups did not differ in any of the variables, but after the intervention, the rate of change in the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group in controlling motor function (P=0.001) and in measuring muscle tone (P=0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that the use of Dohsa-Hou method could be effective in promoting gross motor function and modulating muscle tone in children with spastic cerebral palsy aged 4-12 years. Therefore, the use of Dohsa-Hou method can be considered a therapeutic protocol to improve motor function and increase the physical ability of children with cerebral palsy.