The Effect Of Core Training By Sling Exercise Therapy On Children’s Balance Ability With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Objective:Designing core training by sling exercise therapy for children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP), and observe its effects on balance ability, motor ability, muscle tension, activities of daily living(ADL) etc. Finally evaluate the effect of core training on SCP.Methods:60children with SCP are divided into two groups randomly. One is the treatment group (n=30) and the other is the control group (n=30). Routine physiotherapy has been used on each group. Core strength training has been utilized on the treatment group additionally. Before and after treatment of both groups, Berg balance scale (BBS) has used to assess balance ability, gross motor function measure (GMFM) has been adopted to assess motor ability, modified Ashworth scale (MAS) has been taken to evaluate the muscle tension, and the Barthel index of ADL (BI) has been chosen to judge the self-care ability. After treatment for12weeks, the evaluation results were analyzed with statistics, and compared the differences before and after treatment and between two groups.Result:1.After treatment, both groups revealed a significant difference (P<0.05) on the scores of BBS compared with itself before; the differences between both groups have statistical significance (P<0.05). It means that balance abilities of both groups have improved, but the improvement degree of balance ability in the treatment group has a markedly greater.2. After treatment, both groups revealed a significant difference (P<0.05) on the scores of GMFM compared with itself before; the differences between both groups have statistical significance (P<0.05). It means that motor abilities of both groups have improved, but the improvement degree of motor ability in the treatment group has a markedly greater.3. After treatment, both groups revealed a significant difference (P<0.05) on the scores of MAS compared with itself before; the differences between both groups have no statistical significance (P>0.05). It means that muscle tension of both groups has reduced, and the reduced degrees of muscle tension of both groups have not markedly greater.4. After treatment, both groups revealed a significant difference (P<0.05) on the scores of BI compared with itself before; the differences between both groups have no statistical significance (P>0.05). It means that ADL of both groups have improved, and the improvement degrees of ADL of both groups have not a markedly greater.Conclusion:1. Routine physiotherapy concurrently with core training can enhance the balance ability, gross motor function, activities of daily living etc., and reduce muscle tension of children with SCP.2. Core training can promote balance ability and gross motor function of children with SCP obviously.3. Core training has no apparent effect on muscle tension and ADL of children with SCP.4. Core training can effectively enhance the torso motor ability through enhancing its muscles. Sling exercise therapy is a way of core training that can be efficiently used to children with cerebral palsy. Core training with sling exercise therapy is a new idea of rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy. It is a treatment focus on the torso muscles ability that can improve the torso motor ability, balance ability, gross motor function etc.