Cerebral palsy (CP) encompasses a group of nonprogressive movement and posture disorders caused by early brain development abnormalities [1]. Motor impairments are frequently accompanied by sensory, cognitive, and behavioral disturbance [2]. Based on clinic motor signs, CP can be categorized into several subtypes including spasticity, dyskinesia, ataxia and hypotonia, spastic CP accounts for approximately 80 % of cases [3], [4]. CP is the most prevalent lifelong physical disability that originates in childhood, with an incidence of 1.5–3.4 per 1000 live births all over the world [5]. In China, an epidemiological survey study based on data from 12 cities indicated that 2.48 per 1000 children aged 1–6 years are diagnosed with CP [6]. Due to the prevalence of motor dysfunction in children with CP, children encounter limitations in their activities of daily living (ADL) and social participation, which negatively impact their quality of life (QOL) and social adaptation ability, and these imposes socioeconomic challenges on families and society [7]. Therefore, it is important and necessary to explore treatment for CP with high efficacy. Indeed, a wide breadth of physical and occupational therapeutic approaches have been employed to improve motor dysfunction in children with CP [8], including acupuncture, a beneficial supplement to modern rehabilitation therapy and recommended by Chinese CP rehabilitation guidelines [9], [10]. Although preliminary studies [11], [12] suggest acupuncture alleviates spasticity and improves motor function, methodological limitations hinder conclusive evidence [13].

In clinic, commonly used acupuncture treatment in China includes electroacupuncture, body acupuncture, scalp acupuncture, eye-acupuncture, tongue acupuncture, abdominal acupuncture and laser acupuncture [14], [15]. Among acupuncture modalities, scalp acupuncture is particularly useful in clinical practice [16], [17]. According to a meta-analysis of clinical randomized controlled trials, acupuncture is a viable intervention for spastic cerebral palsy, with scalp acupuncture being a preferred modality [17]. Chinese scalp acupuncture is a contemporary acupuncture technique that integrates traditional Chinese needling methods with Western medical knowledge of representative areas of the cerebral cortex. A variety of scalp acupuncture treatments have been developed and applied to treat motor dysfunction in children with CP, including Jiao’s, Lin’s, Jin’s, Tang’s and the China scalp-point program of international standardization [14]. Among them, Jiao’s scalp acupuncture, by combing the knowledge of modern neuroanatomy and neurophysiology with traditional techniques of Chinese acupuncture, has developed a new tool for regulating the functions of the central nervous system [18]. The motor area of Jiao’s scalp acupuncture, which is specifically used for the treatment of motor dysfunction in central nervous system disease, is equivalent to the structure of the precentral gyrus of the cerebral cortex on the scalp projection [13], [18]. While precious trials have validated its efficacy in ischemic stroke patients [19], [20]. However, it is unknown whether Jiao’s scalp acupuncture is effective in the treatment of motor dysfunction in children with CP. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Jiao's scalp acupuncture as an adjunct to rehabilitation in children with spastic CP.