Dr. Leonard can't really explain it, either. They may be a little more susceptible to the placebo effect, but then, with a kid like Taylor, they may be a little less. Taylor is also using magnet therapy, with magnets connected to his arms and legs by electrodes. His muscle tone and control continue to improve, Ms. Johnson says. Dr. Leonard doesn't claim the therapy will cure Taylor's hypomyelination, or the loss of the sheathing material that helps the nervous system conduct impulses.
Muscular dystrophy is the best known form of hypomyelination, but there are many others.
But Taylor is on his feet, and he seems to be pain-free. Research continues Researchers at the University of Arizona, funded by grants from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, are studying several types of complementary therapies, including treating recurrent ear infections with either echinacea or spinal manipulation, using acupuncture and manipulation to alleviate seizures and muscle control problems in children with cerebral palsy and using visualization techniques, chamomile tea or both to treat children with recurrent stomach pain. Dr. John Mark, a pediatric integrative medicine fellow at the University of Arizona, wants to explore the effectiveness of using guided imagery to alleviate or control asthma symptoms. Children with asthma, for example, might be taught to visualize air flowing freely in and out of their lungs, or to visualize a peaceful shore scene to help ease anxiety during an asthma attack. Natalie has allergies and a misalignment of the hip socket makes her knees and feet turn in.