28/12/2025
CME and DMI are popular interventions for paediatric physiotherapy often seen on instagram and Facebook. However, they are not evidence based. Meaning that they are not best practice and are not recommended by current research studies.
If you want to know why, read this article.
Let’s keep physio safe and impactful. We have many skills we can use and social media “instagrable” content does not mean it is best for your child.
I believe that foundational theories and components of DMI and CME can be used beneficially. These components include: alignment, biomechnics, strength, balance, range of motion. These components are not unique to DMI and CME. Physios are experts in these foundational skills, irrespective of these privatised courses that are expensive to both therapists and families.
(These are all the personal views of Physio Gemma Duff and no affiliated organisations).
Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) and Cuevas Medek Exercises (CME) are promoted as innovative neurorehabilitation methods for children with neurological disabilities, yet both rely on outdated reflex-hierarchical models rather than contemporary motor learning principles. A review of the literature reveals that CME, despite 5 decades of use, is supported only by a few case reports and 2 small, biased comparative studies. DMI, introduced in 2021, has no published empirical evidence beyond a single conference abstract. Families often pay thousands for intensive, noncovered therapies that may displace meaningful participation in education and social life. Therapists have a professional responsibility to avoid legitimizing unproven practices and to prioritize interventions supported by robust evidence. Pediatric rehabilitation should shift toward child-led, functional, and task-specific approaches grounded in modern motor learning science, with professional bodies and insurers withholding endorsement of nonevidence-based methods.
🌟 CanChild Co-Author: Ginny Paleg
🔗 Read more: https://ow.ly/3MoW50XNUEs
