Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Postural Control and Balance in Children With Unilateral...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Pediatric Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) often impairs balance and postural control in children.
• Existing therapies like Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) aim to improve motor function.
• The potential additive benefits of novel therapeutic modalities require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) on paraspinal muscles.
• To determine if ESWT enhances balance and postural control in children with unilateral CP when combined with NDT.
• To compare outcomes between a group receiving NDT plus ESWT and a group receiving NDT alone.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 32 children with unilateral CP.
• Participants received either NDT alone (control group) or NDT plus ESWT (experimental group) twice weekly for eight weeks.
• Balance and postural control were assessed using the Trunk Control Measurement Scale, Trunk Impairment Scale, Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test before and after the intervention period.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed trends towards improved trunk control, PBS scores, and TUG performance.
• The experimental group (NDT + ESWT) demonstrated statistically significant improvements in these measures (p < 0.05).
• ESWT applied to paraspinal muscles yielded significant additive benefits beyond NDT alone.

Conclusions:

• ESWT applied to paraspinal muscles is a valuable adjunct therapy for children with unilateral CP.
• Combining ESWT with NDT significantly improves postural control and balance in this pediatric population.
• This study supports the integration of ESWT into rehabilitation programs for unilateral CP to enhance functional outcomes.