Herbal Therapies for Cerebral Palsy

There is very little information available about the treatment of cerebral palsy with herbs and homeopathic remedies. Most treatments of this as-yet-incurable disease revolve around physiological treatments and a long period of intense behavioral work. While there is little proven, there are some Eastern claims of ayurveda and homeopathy-related treatments that can contribute to a healthier cerebral palsy sufferer.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

• Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term that encompasses a group of non-contagious, motor and non-progressive conditions that can cause physical disability during human development. The condition occurs in connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain and often takes place in pregnancy or childbirth. The disorders can lead to disturbances of perception, cognition, sensation and behavior that come as a result of epilepsy and secondary musculoskeletal problems. There is no known cure for the condition and medicinal treatments treat and prevent the complications that follow from having CP (see reference 3).

Mysterious Claims

• There are claims that certain treatments developed in India may help to alleviate many of the complications of CP. A Bengali pharmacologist based in the U.S. speaks of a case where his 7-year-old daughter met with remarkable improvement after taking a combination of herbs from a man named Pancham Kumar Das in Jharkhand. The pharmacologist had tried all the traditional therapies with no effect. Das has disclosed that three of the herbs used are tulsi, garlic and marigold, but he has kept the other three Himalayan herbs a "trade secret." The mixture is used as oral drops, and he claims to have helped 80 percent of 200 patients to improve 60 percent to 80 percent (see reference 2). There are no scientific studies to back up any of this data. Likewise, there is no data to support the claims of Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, the Chief Ayurvedic Physician at a clinic on Thane, Maharashtra, India. He suggests a group of herbal medicines called Medhya that are claimed to treat and potentially reverse damaged brain cells. The herbal medicines include Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Mandukparni (Centella asiatica), Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), and multiple other Indian herbs. He cites Majja dhatu (or tissue) and nerve-conduction medicines such as Guduchi and Kaishor-Guggulu as well. Lastly, he recommends massage with oils such as Maha-Narayan oil and medicated enemas such as Basti (see reference 3). Another mysterious form of herbal treatment is known as Gunvant-Therapy (G-Therapy), created by Dr. Gunvant Oswal of Pune, India. Dr. Oswal has treated over 10,000 patients with disorders ranging from cerebral palsy to Down symdrome. He has found positive nerve, neutrotransmitter and synaptic improvement in his patients, and he is doing further clinical studies to figure out exactly how his treatment works. He does not disclose any information about what his herbal treatment consists of on his website (see resource 2).

Who to Trust

• The three methods discussed in the previous section are supported by little scientific evidence. There have been very few studies about other treatments as well, such as the use of zinc sulfate (see reference 1) and the homeopathic Calc Phos (see resource 1). Since there have been so few studies about herbal and homeopathic remedies, it is strongly recommended that you consult a physician and take any wild claims of cerebral-palsy healing with a grain of salt. There is no known cure and there is no proven herbal therapy.