CME, the acronym for Cuevas Medek Exercises, 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, including Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus, Down Syndrome, Ataxia, among others.
The goal of CME is to produce functional motor control in young children with motor delay so that they might attain the highest level of independence in sitting, standing, and walking. Among the most difficult challenges, facing children with motor delay are lack of independence, and secondary contractures leading to structural trunk and limb deformities that often require multiple corrective surgeries. Unfortunately, due to the underlying abnormal muscle tone, the deformities eventually recur and repeated surgeries are required for these patients. CME therapy has prevented the need for these major surgical procedures by improving the child’s muscle tone and by increasing flexibility and mobility.
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.
CME exercises gradually expose the child to anti-gravity motor-postural challenges that facilitate the learning of new anti-gravity control reactions. The focus on facilitating the patient’s self-produced actions to environmental challenges likely leads to neural connection rearrangement in the child’s brain as long as the neurons in the brain retain some form of neural plasticity. This degree of concentration on self-produced motor actions to anti-gravity stimulation, a main feature of CME therapy, is rare among interventions that target motor function but is a common feature of successful ones.
By integrating the components of antigravity posture, range of motion, weight bearing, and stretching in the functional exercises, Ramon Cuevas has been able to improve the agility, flexibility, balance, and coordination of the children he treats. Early intervention is important, as muscles weaken from lack of use, making treatment more difficult as time goes on. Also important for success is the participation of the parents or caregiver, who, after careful instruction, continues with the child’s treatment exercises at home.
This therapy can be applied to children from the age of 3 months until they achieve and control independent walking. Because the CME 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.
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 appropriate exercise until achieve total motor control.