Dohsa-hou and mirror therapy’s effects on the bodily movements of a student with cerebral palsy

Abstract

This study examined the effects of Dohsa-hou and Mirror Therapy （MT） on the bodily movements of a student with cerebral palsy. This subject was a 14-year old male who would grab objects to help him stand but was unable to walk; he had been using a wheelchair every day. The experiment was divided into three intervention periods. In Phase A, only Dohsa-hou was introduced; in Phase B, Dohsa-hou and lower limb MT were performed; and in Phase C, Dohsa-hou, and upper and lower limbs MT were conducted. The interventions were found to be successful as a significant change was noted in the subject both in relaxation and movement. The results of the evaluation of motion tasks conducted post the experiment were found to be high. The Manual Ability Classification System test was performed before the intervention and at the last phase; the outcomes of this examination reported a 14.5 points decrease in Phase C compared to the baseline score. An increase was also found in the Floor Toe Distance test; compared to the baseline, the left foot averaged 5.5 cm, and the right foot averaged 2.3 cm in Phase C, allowing dorsiflexion. These results were discussed by considering the differences in the visual feedback between Dohsa-hou and MT as well as the change in the experience process through Dohsa-hou and MT. This study suggests that a synergistic effect can be expected between these two therapies by implementing Dohsa-hou for the improvement of coarse movements, such as posture acquisition, and through the application of MT to improve limb movement.