Abstract
To evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal exercise program incorporating plyometric and balance training on muscle strength and postural stability in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (SHCP).
A total of 57 children with SHCP were enrolled in the study and randomly allocated into three treatment-based groups: plyometric exercises (PLYO group;
= 19), balance exercises (BAL group,
= 19), and combined plyometric and balance exercises (PLYO-BAL group;
= 19). The maximum isometric muscle strength (IMS
) and postural stability [anterior-posterior stability index (AP-SI), mediolateral stability index (ML-SI), and overall stability index (O-SI)] were measured pre- and post-intervention.
By applying the intention-to-treat analysis, the PLYO-BAL group showed greater post-treatment IMS
than the PLYO and BAL groups for the quadriceps (
=.03 and
=.0002 respectively), hamstrings (
=.018 and
<.0001 respectively), and dorsiflexors (
=.006 and
<.0001 respectively). Also, the PLYO-BAL group achieved better post-intervention stability scores as compared to PLYO and BAL groups regarding AP-SI (
<.0001 and
=.0001 respectively), ML-SI (
=.001 and
=.015 respectively), and O-SI (
=.011 and
=.04 respectively).
Incorporation of plyometric and balance exercises in a multimodal rehabilitation program could be an important consideration for enhancing muscle strength and boosting postural stability in children with SHCP.