The effects of neck and trunk stabilization exercises on cerebral palsy children's static and dynamic trunk balance: case series.
Ji-Won Shin, Gui-Bin Song, Jooyeon Ko
PMID 28533628WHAT IT FOUND
Eleven children with cerebral palsy did better on sitting trunk-control scores after eight weeks of twice-weekly sessions that included neck and trunk stabilization.
But there was no control group, so this cannot show the exercises caused the gain.
Key findings
01Eleven school aged children with cerebral palsy due to premature birth and periventricular leukomalacia, at GMFCS levels I to III, received 45-minute sessions twice a week for eight weeks that included warm-up, neck and trunk stabilization, postural control, and cool-down exercises.
02Total Trunk Control Measurement Scale scores were 27.0 ± 12.5 before treatment and 35.8 ± 12.2 after treatment, on a scale of 0 to 58 points.
03After intervention, the paper reported significant effects on static sitting balance, selective movement control, dynamic reaching, and total TCMS scores with p<0.05.
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
There was no control group, so the score change cannot be separated from normal development or other unreported factors. Only 11 children were studied, so the result may not apply to other children with cerebral palsy. All children were recruited from one child development centre, so the result may not apply elsewhere. The TCMS is used for children who can maintain a sitting position, so the result does not show what happens for children who cannot sit. The study measured trunk-control scores before and after only, with no follow-up. The study did not measure daily activities such as eating or wheelchair sitting, although it mentions those links. The cerebral palsy type was limited to spastic diplegia due to premature birth and periventricular leukomalacia.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the score gains as proof that neck and trunk stabilization caused improvement. The sessions also included warm-up, postural control, and cool-down work, and there was no control group, only 11 children.