Stability Balls and Cerebral Palsy – What Does the Research Say?
Pediatric therapy continues to evolve, embracing strategies that hold the potential to uplift the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy. Swiss Ball Stabilization Training (SBST) is one such strategy, demonstrating substantial improvements in balance, trunk control, and even muscle thickness among children. What does the research show about stability balls and cerebral palsy?
Swiss Ball Stabilization Training Outperforms Stable Surface Stabilization Training
A recent single-blind, randomized superiority trial compared the effectiveness of SBST with Stable Surface Stabilization Training (SSST) in enhancing trunk control, abdominal muscle thickness, balance, and motor skills of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CWSCP). This study incorporated thirty CWSCP participants, aged 6-12 years, with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III, who were randomly assigned to either the SBST or SSST groups.
Following five weeks of intervention and nine weeks of follow-up, the SBST group outperformed the SSST group, showing statistically significant improvements in the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS), standing and walking sections of the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88), mobility section of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), and thickness of the internal oblique muscle and transverse abdominis muscle at both rest and contraction stages.
Interestingly, the thickness of the external oblique muscle showed a statistically significant increase in the SSST group compared to the SBST group post-intervention and follow-up. However, there were no significant differences between the groups concerning the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) score after five weeks of intervention.
The trial’s findings affirmed that SBST could significantly improve the trunk control, balance, and motor skills of CWSCP and increase the thickness of local abdominal muscles. In comparison to SSST, SBST emerged as a more effective intervention for CWSCP (Koutenaei et al, 2023).
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Swiss Ball Training Bolsters Trunk Control and Balance
Elanchezhian and SwarnaKumari’s 2019 study offered a compelling affirmation of Swiss ball training’s benefits. The study involved thirty children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, divided into two groups. The group that underwent Swiss ball training over six weeks outperformed the conventional training group in terms of improved trunk control and balance. As these factors are instrumental in enhancing the functional independence of children with cerebral palsy, Swiss ball training could significantly contribute to their overall physical development.
Swiss Balls: A Tool for Posture and Core Muscle Engagement
An in-depth study by Sumchai in 2015 highlighted the multiple benefits of Swiss balls, also known as stability balls. The study found that these balls promote proprioception and strengthen the core muscles responsible for spinal stability, thereby improving posture. Pediatric therapists have applied these findings in their work with children with cerebral palsy, further solidifying the Swiss balls’ role in postural improvement.
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Therapy Ball Seating: Aiding Fine Motor Skills
In addition to the previously discussed benefits, Swiss ball seating’s potential impact on the grasping ability and visual motor integration in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy is noteworthy. A study by Salem et al. in 2021 compared the effects of therapy ball seating with conventional chair seating on these skills. Both groups showed significant improvement after three months of occupational therapy exercises. However, the therapy ball group displayed a more pronounced improvement, implying that therapy balls could contribute to the development of a child’s fine motor skills and visual motor coordination.
Key Takeaways Regarding Stability Balls and Cerebral Palsy
- Swiss Ball Stabilization Training (SBST) is more effective than Stable Surface Stabilization Training (SSST) in enhancing trunk control, balance, and motor skills of children with cerebral palsy.
- Swiss ball training improves trunk control and balance in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, thereby increasing their functional independence.
- Stability balls, such as the Swiss ball, improve posture and enhance core muscle engagement in children with cerebral palsy.
- Therapy ball seating, including Swiss balls, can positively impact these children’s fine motor skills and visual motor coordination.
- These findings collectively suggest that SBST and therapy ball seating can be effective strategies in pediatric therapy for children with cerebral palsy.
In conclusion, the integration of Swiss Ball Stabilization Training and therapy ball seating in pediatric therapy may significantly improve the motor skills, balance, and functional independence of children with cerebral palsy. By enhancing core muscle engagement and posture, these interventions pave the way for better physical development. These findings underscore the potential of these innovative strategies in enhancing the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy.
REFERENCES
Elanchezhian, C., SwarnaKumari, P. (2019). Swiss Ball Training To Improve Trunk Control and Balance In Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy. Sri Lanka J Child Health, 4(48), 300. https://doi.org/10.4038/sljch.v48i4.8821
Koutenaei, F. R., Dehkordi, S. N., Amini, M., & ShahAli, S. (2023). Effect of Swiss ball stabilization training on trunk control, abdominal muscle thickness, balance, and motor skills of children with spastic cerebral palsy: A randomized, superiority trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Salem, E. E., El-Din, S. M. N., Abbass, M. E. (2021). Effect Of Using Adaptive Seating Equipment On Grasping and Visual Motor Integration In Children With Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Bull Fac Phys Ther, 1(26). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43161-021-00046-8
Sumchai, A. P. (2015). The Human Spine Is Like a Precious Strand Of Pearls. J Women’s Health Care, 05(04). https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0420.1000258
