Gbiri CAO1, Akinola BIA1, Odebiyi DO1
1University of Lagos, Physiotherapy, Lagos, Nigeria
Background: Reducing spasticity and improving functioning is a major challenge to habilitation of children with cerebral palsy (CP) for independent functioning.
Purpose: This study compared efficacy of water-based exercises (WBE) and land-based exercises (LBE) on spasticity and functioning in children with CP.
Methods: This single-blinded study involved thirty participants (21females) aged 1-12years recruited from a Children centre in Lagos Nigeria and randomised into either WBE LBE groups. Both groups had stretching and functional training for rolling, kneeling, sitting, standing, walking and jumping. The WBE were exercised in water at temperature between 28oC and 32ºC while the LBE were exercised on land at room temperature for 100 minutes, twice a week for 10 weeks. Spasticity for each of the muscles of the upper-limbs and lower-limbs, and motor functioning were assessed using Modified Ashworth Scale and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) respectively at baseline, 4-weeks, 8-weeks and 10-weeks.
Results: Participants were aged 5.20+2.43 with majority (83.3%) having spastic quadriplegia at mobility level of GMFCS II-V. WBE had significant reduction (p 0.05) in spasticity of all upper-limbs and lower-limbs' muscles while LBE showed no significant improvement (p>0.05) in wrist flexors and knee flexors. Only WBE had significant improvement (p 0.05) in all dimensions of functioning except in walking, running and jumping. WBE had significantly better improvement (p 0.05) in all dimensions of functioning than LBE after 10 weeks of intervention.
Conclusion(s): Water-based exercises are more efficacious in reducing spasticity and resulted in better improvement in independent functioning in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
Implications: The outcome of this research has provided a leeway to improving functional independent performance in children with cerebral palsy.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, spasticity, Functional performance
Funding acknowledgements: None
Purpose: This study compared efficacy of water-based exercises (WBE) and land-based exercises (LBE) on spasticity and functioning in children with CP.
Methods: This single-blinded study involved thirty participants (21females) aged 1-12years recruited from a Children centre in Lagos Nigeria and randomised into either WBE LBE groups. Both groups had stretching and functional training for rolling, kneeling, sitting, standing, walking and jumping. The WBE were exercised in water at temperature between 28oC and 32ºC while the LBE were exercised on land at room temperature for 100 minutes, twice a week for 10 weeks. Spasticity for each of the muscles of the upper-limbs and lower-limbs, and motor functioning were assessed using Modified Ashworth Scale and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) respectively at baseline, 4-weeks, 8-weeks and 10-weeks.
Results: Participants were aged 5.20+2.43 with majority (83.3%) having spastic quadriplegia at mobility level of GMFCS II-V. WBE had significant reduction (p 0.05) in spasticity of all upper-limbs and lower-limbs' muscles while LBE showed no significant improvement (p>0.05) in wrist flexors and knee flexors. Only WBE had significant improvement (p 0.05) in all dimensions of functioning except in walking, running and jumping. WBE had significantly better improvement (p 0.05) in all dimensions of functioning than LBE after 10 weeks of intervention.
Conclusion(s): Water-based exercises are more efficacious in reducing spasticity and resulted in better improvement in independent functioning in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
Implications: The outcome of this research has provided a leeway to improving functional independent performance in children with cerebral palsy.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, spasticity, Functional performance
Funding acknowledgements: None
Topic: Paediatrics: cerebral palsy; Neurology; Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Lagos University Teaching Hospital
Ethics committee: Lagos University Teaching Hospital Research Ethics Committee
Ethics number: ADM/DCST/HREC/APP/1525
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
