Effects of manual therapy with functional electrical stimulation on scoliosis curve in children with cerebral palsy.
Do-Hyun Kim, Won-Gyu Yoo
PMID 30154613WHAT IT FOUND
Two non-ambulatory children with cerebral palsy received manual therapy and electrical stimulation for three months.
Both showed reduced spinal curvature and higher caregiver-reported quality of life scores. This small number of cases cannot prove the treatment works.
Key findings
01Spinal curvature improved in both children after three months of combined manual therapy and functional electrical stimulation.
02Caregiver-reported quality of life scores increased for both children following the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only two children, so results cannot be generalized. There was no control group or comparison treatment, so natural changes over time or other factors cannot be ruled out. Both participants had severe motor impairment (GMFCS level V), so findings may not apply to children with milder cerebral palsy. The contribution of manual therapy versus electrical stimulation cannot be separated because both were given together.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest, and there was no funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that manual therapy or functional electrical stimulation caused the improvements. Because both treatments were delivered simultaneously to only two children, it is impossible to know if the change was due to the intervention, natural growth, or other unmeasured factors.