Ganancia de extensión de rodilla usando ultrasonido terapéutico y estiramiento pasivo en pacientes con parálisis cerebral espástica leve

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether therapeutic ultrasound and passive stretching exercises have greater effects on knee extension gain than passive stretching exercises alone. Material and methodsQuantitative study of experimental design. A total of 12 mild spastic cerebral palsy patients (between 7 and 12 years) with shortening of the hamstrings. They were randomly divided in 2 groups. A group received triple flexure mobilization, massage, therapeutic ultrasound and a 3 static passive stretching bout and another group received the same intervention without ultrasound. Both, therapeutic ultrasound+passive elongation group (Gr-UST+EP) and passive elongation group (Gr-EP) were evaluated using a goniometer at the angle of the knee at the beginning and end of each session. Then, knee extension gain was measured. The intervention was performed twice a week per 4 weeks. ResultsThe group that received therapeutic ultrasound+passive elongation over 4 weeks of treatment had a higher knee extension gain than the passive elongation group. Both the left knee F (1.9)=15.386, P=.003 and right knee F (1.9)=5.690. ConclusionsTherapeutic ultrasound and passive stretching exercises has greater knee extension gain than passive stretching exercises alone, so it might be a good therapeutic choice in maintaining joint ranges and avoidance of joint deformity in patients with mild spastic cerebral palsy.