A Comparative Study between Functional Therapy and Conventional Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Background: Cerebral palsy describes a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation, that are attributed to non- progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing foetal or infant brain. In the industrialized world, the incidence of cerebral palsy is about two per 1000 live births. The incidence is higher in males than in females. The purpose of this study was to examine the motor abilities of children with cerebral palsy who received functional Physiotherapy and the improvement compared to the motor abilities of children in a reference group whose therapy was based on the principle of normalization of the quality of movement. Methodology: A comparative experimental study consisting of 30 cerebral palsy children assigned into two groups. Experimental (n=15) who underwent functional therapy and control (n=15) who underwent conventional physiotherapy were assessed for their improvement in functional skills. Result: Gross Motor functional measures (GMFM) reflects that Group A (Treated with functional therapy) is more effective than Group B (Treated with conventional therapy). Conclusion: This study concluded that there is a significant difference between the efficacies of functional physical therapy and conventional therapy in the treatment of CP children.