Physical therapy intervention for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical therapy intervention on specific measures of body function, activity, and participation and the relationships between these components in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).;Children in the experimental group mean ankle dorsiflexion active range of motion (AROM) and knee extension strength increased from pre- to post-test where the control groups remained stable, p < 0.01. There was little to no relationship (r ranging 0.00 to 0.25) between hemoglobin and Timed Up and Down Stairs (TUDS) (r = 0.07), hemoglobin and 9-minute run walk (r = 0.02), ankle dorsiflexion AROM and TUDS (r = 0.24), ankle dorsiflexion AROM and 9-minute run walk (r = 0.25), and knee extension strength and 9 minute-run walk (r = 0.21). Fair relationships (r ranging 0.25 to 0.50) were found between ankle dorsiflexion strength and TUDS ( r = 0.42, p < 0.05) and ankle dorsiflexion strength and 9-minute run walk (r = 0.416, p < 0.05).;Eighteen percent of the variance accounted for in the parent general PedsQL, a health related quality of life measure, was explained by the TUDS. Twenty-two percent of the variance accounted for in the child cancer PedsQL was explained by ankle dorsiflexion strength. No variables explained the variance in parent cancer PedsQL or child general PedsQL.;This study identified significant improvements in ankle dorsiflexion AROM and knee extension strength in children with ALL following 4 months of physical therapy. In children with ALL there are relationships between specific measures of body function, activity, and participation.;Twenty-nine children ages 4 to 17 years with ALL in the maintenance phase of chemotherapy participated in the study. Children were stratified by risk group and time in maintenance therapy then randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group received five sessions of physical therapy over 4 months. The model of service delivery included procedural interventions and consultation with an emphasis on promoting active involvement of the child and family: specifically with interventions that included functional exercises that can be incorporated into the child's daily routine.