Helping Children with Cerebral Palsy: Locomotor Treadmill Training or Strength Training

INTRODUCTION

Cerebral Palsy is a condition that involves the brain and nervous system which results in disorders in movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking. There has been a rise on the number of children who are diagnosed with CP since the 1960’s (Mattern-Baxter, 2010). After a child has been diagnosed with CP, it is important to help them regain their ability to walk. Cerebral palsy is a permanent but not unchanging condition that requires the help of medical professionals, the children and their families (Mattern-Baxter, 2010). Since the recent increase of the number of children diagnosed with CP, researchers has emphasized the importance of intensive intervention at an early stage (Prosser, Lee, VanSant, Barbe, & Lauer, 2010). Ways to help improve the gait kinematics of children with CP are through locomotor treadmill training (LTT) or strength training. There are advantages and disadvantages with both methods. There are also different cases of CP so the effects of these methods vary between the children. A disadvantage for locomotor treadmill training is that it is less effective on children with CP less than 4 years old (Mattern-Baxter, 2010). Strength training may improve walking function to some patients but may cause no change or undesired outcomes to others (Damiano, Arnold, Steele & Delp, 2010). It is important to look at the best method that can help improve ambulation in children with CP since the number of children diagnosed with this condition is becoming more frequent. The purpose of this paper is to compare the different studies and determine which strategy is more effective for children with cerebral palsy, treadmill training, or strength training.

METHODS

In searching for references, the sea...

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...aining and which will not. The research on muscle activating pattern should be helpful in determining why strength training helps some patients and not others. Researchers should also include more participants for these studies.

REFERENCES

Damiano, D., Arnold, A., Steele, K., & Delp, S. (2010). Can Strength Training Predictably Improve Gait Kinematics? A Pilot Study on the Effects of Hip and Knee Extensor Strengthening on Lower- Extremity Alignment in Cerebral Palsy. Physical Therapy, 90(2), 269-279.

Mattern-Baxter, K.. (2010). Locomotor Treadmill Training for Children With Cerebral Palsy. Orthopaedic Nursing, 29(3), 169-175.

Prosser, L., Lee, S., VanSant, A., Barbe, M., & Lauer, R. (2010). Trunk and Hip Muscle Activation Patterns Are Different During Walking in Young Children With and Without Cerebral Palsy. Physical Therapy, 90(7), 986-997.