Ramon Cuevas / CME Therapy Creator: CME on Down Syndrome

Thursday, February 28, 2008

CME on Down Syndrome

The next graphic illustrates the results obtained with 16 Down syndrome children stimulated with CME therapy by Ramon in the Institute INVEDIN in Caracas, Venezuela, between 1973 and 1975, in which all of them began motor therapy from the ages of two to three months old. None of the children were affected by any heart correlated condition or any other complication, except for the Down syndrome clinic symptoms. The average frequency of the CME session was of 3 times per week (30 minutes per session) plus the home program exercises for the parents, recommended to be done once daily.

The collected data was done retrospectively in 1975, and it is not part of any scientific study to corroborate the efficacy of CME therapy, nevertheless it represents the objective and veritable results obtained in a small group of Down syndrome population treated with CME during three years. Not all of the children began the treatment at the same time, but all of them started therapy between January 1973 and March 1974.

The dark line shows the standard normal curve of motor evolution along the first 2 years of age, which is universally accepted and fully demonstrated by different authors of developmental motor scales. The blue line illustrates the average motor evolution of a population of 40 Down syndrome children, which were treated with the conventional motor therapy approaches but not under the early stimulation concept. This information for obtaining the average curve was collected from the files of the 40 children assisting to the special school of the Institute and all of them were older than 6. The gray curve is the average motor evolution of the Down syndrome group treated with CME therapy and is clearly better than the curve of motor progress shown by the older Down syndrome children treated in the Institute before the implementation of CME therapy. The final conclusion from this retrospective study was that early treatment produces a substantial motor progress in children with Down syndrome with positives effects in the other areas of the development process, and that the CME therapy also contributes to push the motor evolution curve closer to the normal one.

Who is Ramon Cuevas?

Graduated Summa Cum Laude in Physical Therapy from the University of Chile in 1969, Santiago, Chile. In 1971, he began developing the CME approach (formerly MEDEK), and culminate his creation in 1976, presenting a paper titled Metodo Dinamico de Estimulacion Motriz (MEDEM) in the 4th. International Congress of the American Association of Mental Deficiency, Washington University, Washington D.C, August 1976. In 1973, he participated in the creation of the first Early Intervention Centre in Caracas, Venezuela. He has more than thirty five years of experience in the treatment of children with neurological and musculoskeletal dysfunction. Cuevas teaches students and professionals around the world and has participated in conferences in South America and USA. In 2000, Ramon established the Cuevas Medek Exercise Continuing Education Program (CMECEP) in order to heighten the quality of CME courses for professionals who work in pediatric rehabilitation.
He has published numerous articles and has participated in the publication of books for parents on the subject. Cuevas lives and practices in his centre in Santiago, Chile, and travels abroad to teach C.M.E. courses personally, in order to share with the participants the most updated evolution of CME therapy.

CME Definition

CME, the acronym for Cuevas Medek Exercise, is a physical therapy approach for infants suffering abnormal developmental motor evolution caused by a known or unknown non-degenerative syndrome affecting the Central Nervous System.

This therapy can be applied to children from the age of 3 months until they achieve and control independent walking. Because the CME physical therapy practitioner needs to expose the infant to the influence of gravity, by providing progressive distal support, the use of this therapy may be limited by the child’s size and weight.

This approach was created and developed by Ramon Cuevas, Chilean physical therapist, during the early seventies in Caracas, Venezuela.

The fundamental assumption of CME Physical Therapy is that developmentally compromised infants need to reinforce their natural recovery potential. This underlying property of the Central Nervous System continues to propel the developmental process even after the sequelae are established.

The natural reaction of the “recovery potential” alone, cannot lead the compromised child out of the abnormal motor developmental situation. Therefore it is crucial to begin motor therapy at the same time the first signs of delayed motor function appear.

The final level of motor independence achieved by the child will depend on the following:

1) The early recognition of the motor developmental abnormality.
2) The existence of brain’s recovery potential.
3) The timely application of a reliable approach of motor therapy.
4) The constant execution of appropiate exercise until achieve total motor control.

CME Characteristics

1.	Provokes the appearance of absent automatic motor functions.
2.	Child’s cooperation and motivation are not requisites in CME Physical Therapy.
3.	Expose the child to the natural influence of the force of gravity with gradual progression to distal support.
4.	Stretching maneuvers are integrated into the CME Physical Therapy.
5.	High muscle tone condition in the lower extremities is not an obstacle to stimulate standing position control.
6.	A trial period is proposed to demonstrate the short term results of CME Physical Therapy.

CME Contraindications

There are a few contra indications to using CME physical therapy:
1.	Any diagnosis of degenerative nature affecting the neuro-muscular tissue (progressive diseases).
2.	Diagnosis of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
3.	Uncontrolled seizures.
4.	Child younger than 3 months of age, except when the therapist in charge is CME II or CME III graduate.
5.	To use this manual as a therapy guide, in disregard of the DISCLAIMER, by any Physical or Occupational Therapist, not in possession of a CME diploma level II or level III, awarded by the Cuevas Medek Exercise Continuing Education Program, and signed by Ramon Cuevas.
6.	To use the inserted information to treat a child without the advice of a CME certified therapist.

Disclaimer

This blog has been developed to promote the existence of CUEVAS MEDEK EXERCISE physical therapy (CME), former MEDEK therapy.

The author does not intend by any means to instigate or suggest to the reader to use the assessment format following the inserted information, nor to use these exercises described in this website with any particular motor delayed child.

The reader must be aware that any child suffering motor delay will first need to be diagnosed by a physician, who should refer the child to the appropriate motor stimulation program.

Only therapists in possession of a CMECEP registered certificate are allowed to apply CME physical therapy.

There are no world wide MEDEK CENTER approved branches, other than the Chilean Home office of Cuevas MEDEK Exercise.

There are no approved Cuevas MEDEK Exercise courses other than those offered by Ramon Cuevas through CME Continuous Education Program (CMECEP).

There are no approved CME physical therapy instructors worldwide to run CME courses without Ramon Cuevas participation.

MEDEK and CME are intellectual registered property by Ramon Cuevas.

No part of this website may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the copyright owners, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. All images in this website have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the individuals concerned.

Ramon Cuevas / CME Therapy Creator