Effectiveness of Vojta Therapy on Gross Motor Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy at GMFCS Levels 4 and 5: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective: To study the effectiveness of the Vojta therapy on gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy at the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels 4 and 5. Materials and Methods: The present study was a randomized controlled trial, assessor-blinded, in 24 children with cerebral palsy, GMFCS 4 and 5 at Thai Red Cross Rehabilitation Center. Participants were randomly allocated to the Vojta therapy as the intervention group or conventional therapy as the control group and were trained by physical therapists. All participants in both groups received a home program for eight weeks. Outcomes were motor function assessment by the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-88, range of motion of lower extremities and parent’s satisfaction. Results: Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned with twelve participants each in the intervention and the control group. The mean age of participants in the intervention group was 7.08±3.17 years. The Vojta therapy significantly improved the GMFM-88 Dimension A- lying and rolling (p=0.001) and the improvement was greater than that of the control group (p=0.001). Both groups had significant increase in range of motion, including bilateral hip flexion, bilateral hip extension, bilateral knee flexion, and bilateral ankle dorsiflexion. Parent’s satisfaction in both groups were very satisfied and had no adverse effects. Conclusion: The Vojta therapy significantly improved gross motor function and range motion of the lower extremities in children with cerebral palsy at GMFCS levels 4 and 5. The Vojta therapy was superior to conventional therapy in the GMFM-88 Dimension A- lying and rolling. Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Vojta therapy; Gross motor function; GMFM-88; GMFCS