Effectiveness of Physical Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Author Information
Author(s): Heidi Anttila, Ilona Autti-Rämö, Jutta Suoranta, Marjukka Mäkelä, Antti Malmivaara
Primary Institution: Finnish Office for Health Technology Assessment (FinOHTA)
Hypothesis
To assess the effectiveness of physical therapy (PT) interventions on functioning in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Conclusion
There is mostly limited evidence on the effectiveness of most PT interventions for children with CP, although moderate evidence was found for some upper extremity training.
Supporting Evidence
- Moderate evidence was found for the effectiveness of upper extremity treatments.
- Moderate evidence of ineffectiveness was found for strength training on walking speed.
- Conflicting evidence was found for strength training on gross motor function.
- Four trials were of high methodological quality.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well physical therapy helps kids with cerebral palsy. It found that some therapies work better than others, but many don't have strong proof that they help.
Methodology
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PT interventions in children with diagnosed CP from 1990 to February 2007.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to lack of blinding and differences in baseline characteristics among trials.
Limitations
The methodological quality of the trials was generally low, and there was significant variability in interventions and outcomes.
Participant Demographics
Children and adolescents with diagnosed CP aged 3 months to 20 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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