Role Of Physical Therapy In Relieving Constipation In Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Role Of Physical Therapy In Relieving Constipation In Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Physical Therapy management in relieving constipation among Spastic Cerebral Palsy children. There were two groups, Group A received routine Physical Therapy and Group B received maintenance Physical Therapy (aim to maintain current level of spasticity, functionality to avoid deterioration of conadition as approved by ASRC)

Physical therapy makes an integral part of the non-pharmacological, conservative management of cerebral palsy. Routine physical therapy aims to reduce spasticity, improve joint range of motion (ROM), and improve strength and mobility.

Passive ROM and stretching of lower limb and trunk increases parasympathetic activity and thus improves intestinal motility in prolonged bed ridden patients.Abdominal muscle training improves intestinal motility by two ways: mechanically by improving fecal propulsion towards rectum and neurologically by inducing parasympathetic activity to improve intestinal motility.20 Thermotherapy of back and abdomen in chronic constipation patient improves intestinal blood flow and parasympathetic activity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The inclusion criteria for the recruitment in the study were: spastic CP children on oral feeding with constipation between ages 2-12 years of both genders, spasticity above 1+ grade on modified Ashworth scale, functional activity level between 2-5 grades on gross motor functional classification scale (GMFCS).

Exclusion Criteria:

• CP children with other systemic co-morbidities, physical deformity in GIT and intellectual disability were excluded from the study.