Impact of Comprehensive Rehabilitation Therapy on Trunk Controlling Ability of Children with Cerebral Palsy

West Indian Med J. 2015 May 6;65(1):147-153. doi: 10.7727/wimj.2014.255.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of comprehensive treatment on the trunk controlling ability (TCA) of children with cerebral palsy (CPC).

Methods: Twenty children with spastic cerebral palsy had truncal stability parameters in the sitting posture and the symmetry parameters of left-right-forward-backward centre of pressure evaluated by the stationary stability assessment module of the PK 254 P balance training instrument. After a six-month trunk control training with physical therapy technology and balancing instrument, the above indicators were re-evaluated, and the evaluations before and after the treatment were analysed to assess the therapeutic effect.

Results: The difference in the truncal stability parameters before and after the treatment was statistically significant (p < 0.05); the difference in the symmetry parameters of forward-backward centre of pressure was significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The balancing instrument training, combined with physical therapy technology training, could effectively improve the TCA of CPC, and the balancing instrument could also provide the objective and quantitative efficacy assessment toward the TCA of CPC.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; efficacy; trunk controlling ability.