Cure Step Center _ Intensive Therapy

 

 

Effect of intensive physical therapy program    on gross motor abilities of children with            cerebral palsy   

Abstract

 
Background and Purpose. The paper presents the finding of gross motor abilities of cerebral palsy children treated with the method of intensive suit therapy program (6 hours/day, 6 days/week for successive 4 weeks). 6 hours consist of 2 hours in Bungy suit, an hour in Spider, an hour in Multi-gym unit (MGU) and two hours Cooling down therapy. Bungy suit is breathable easy to wear suit designed to correct the patient’s posture and movements. It consists of a cap, vest, short, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and adapted shoes that are connected through a system of elastics and adjustable straps. Spider is in space therapy. The patient can move without fear from falling. It will eliminate gravity to a calculated degree, making the body weight lighter so the patient practice with maximum safety 

 and easiness therefore; the normal pattern of movement can be thought in addition to the development of muscle strength. MGU is used to teach the patient the normal pattern of movement and to strength muscles associated to the pattern. By induction of resistive force (weights) and isolating weakened muscle or group of muscles, while gravitational force is eliminated. Cooling down therapy between each vigorous work in the Suit, Spider and MGU the patient must be cooled down and work with less effort, but without complete rest.

For this study a consecutive series of 400 CP patients (2-15y) were assessed by Denver Scale then we classify them into two equal groups then we apply intensive suit therapy program for group l and normal manual physical therapy program for group ll then we re-evaluate them one week after the program. Result. Significant improvement of children admitted to intensive course in comparison to other group show..

                     

  Discussion and conclusion 

 Application of intensive physical therapy program increases the skills of gross motor abilities dramatically than the manual course with best result after rest.