Sauna for cerebral palsy
Evidence review
Overview
Adults with cerebral palsy and severe motor and intellectual disabilities often have cold extremities and low cardiac output. In a Japanese before-and-after study of 16 such adults, one 15-minute session in a 140 F sauna raised deep body temperature by about 1.8 F, lowered peripheral resistance, increased cardiac output and limb blood flow, and reduced limb numbness and myalgia without adverse effects. No controlled trial or study of repeated sessions exists.
Key findings
- Single 140 F sauna for 15 min, 16 adults: cardiac output +14%, peripheral resistance -11%, improved limb blood flow; numbness and myalgia decreased; no adverse effects (Iiyama 2008)
Every study we reviewed
1 found benefit
Each study was checked on PubMed. The colored edge shows the direction of the result. The research library lists 13 studies on spinal cord injury and spasticity, across all heat and cold therapies, including case reports and older work not graded here.
Effects of single low-temperature sauna bathing in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities.
Iiyama J et al. Int J Biometeorol. 2008. PubMed 18196282 · DOI
- Who
- adults aged 19-53 with cerebral palsy and severe motor and intellectual disabilities
- What
- single low-temperature sauna bath
- Protocol
- 140 °F · 15 min · single session/wk
- Measured
- deep body temperature, hemodynamics, peripheral blood flow indices, numbness and myalgia
- Result
- Deep body temperature rose 1.8 F (1 C); total peripheral resistance fell 11% and cardiac output rose 14%; skin blood flow, flow velocity, pulsatile and resistive indexes improved; numbness and chronic myalgia of the extremities decreased; no adverse effects.
- Limitations
- single session; uncontrolled before-and-after design; short-term outcomes
Protocols used in the studies
One session of low-temperature sauna at 140 F (60 C) for 15 minutes. No repeated-session protocol has been studied.
What is still unknown
Effect of repeated sessions; effect on spasticity, pain and function; controlled comparison; safety in children.
Safety
Cautions for sauna in this condition
- Participants with severe motor and intellectual disabilities may be unable to report discomfort or leave the heat; sessions must be supervised and short.
- Heart rate rose and blood pressure fell slightly after sauna (PMID 18196282); monitor for hypotension.
- See general-safety.
For clinicians
Suggested rationale
A single 15-minute session of 140 F sauna improved peripheral circulation and reduced limb numbness and myalgia in 16 adults with cerebral palsy (Iiyama 2008); the evidence is one small uncontrolled study, and durable benefit from repeated use has not been tested.
Suggested wording only. The treating clinician decides whether it reflects their clinical judgment for this patient.
Typical ICD-10 codes: G80.9. Examples only; the clinician assigns the code.
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