Introduction of reflexotherapy into the rehabilitation program for children after neuroinfections: results and prospects

The main focus of neurorehabilitation is the prevention and correction of functional impairments in a child's organs or systems following neuroinfectious diseases.

The aim of the study. To scientifically substantiate the application of a comprehensive rehabilitation program based on reflexotherapy for children with sequelae of meningitis and encephalitis during the inpatient stage.

Materials and Methods. The study involved 63 children aged 1 to 14 years with viral or bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis, including 29 girls (46.0%) and 34 boys (54.0%). The control group received standardized rehabilitation, while the main group additionally received reflexotherapy.

Results. Outcomes in both groups were assessed before and after rehabilitation, and at 3 and 6 months using the following measures: the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) – recovery of motor functions in the main group significantly exceeded that in the control group (at 6 months: χ2-Pearson=42.995, p=0.001); the Modified Ashworth Scale – improvement in the main group was statistically significantly greater than in the control group for the upper extremities (χ2-Pearson=10.233, p=0.017). Also, according to the results received from the Visual Analogue Scale during the investigation: in the main group, after 6 months, there was a significant decrease in the number of children complaining of headaches - when compared with the indicators in the comparison group, the result was statistically sig- nificant (χ2-Pearson=8.627, p=0.003).

Conclusion. Reflexotherapeutic approaches contribute to improved coordination, increased range of motion in joints, reduced muscle tone, decreased levels of asthenia and headache intensity, as well as enhanced motor functions in children after meningitis or encephalitis. Incorporating reflexotherapy into the rehabilitation program increases the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures and improves the child's quality of life.

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