PT and School Aged Children with CP

The November issue of Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics published a review on physical therapy interventions for school aged children with cerebral palsy. Thirty four articles were reviewed with strength training being the most studied intervention. The strength training intervention resulted in significant improvements in muscle strength but not necessarily in function. Improvements in gross motor function, gait speed, stride length and endurance were seen with functional training. Weight supported treadmill training resulted in improvement trends on the Gross Motor Function Measure and gait velocity but none were significant. One of three studies using neurodevelopmental treatment as an intervention resulted in significant improvements on the Gross Motor Function Measure. With regards to treatment dosage, no studies “found significant differences for different intensities of treatment”.

Reference: Liz Martin, Richard Baker and Adrienne Harvey. A Systematic Review of Common Physiotherapy Interventions in School-Aged Children with Cerebral Palsy. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics November 2010, Vol. 30, No. 4 , Pages 294-312 (doi:10.3109/01942638.2010.500581)