Effect of Diving and Aquatic Exercises on Muscle Spasticity and Motor Function in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Effect of Diving and Aquatic Exercises on Muscle Spasticity and Motor Function in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

This study aims to evaluate the effect of diving and aquatic exercises on muscle spasticity and motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurological disorders that affect movement and muscle coordination in childhood. Hydrotherapy is one of the most popular supplementary treatments for children with neuro-motor impairments, particularly children with CP.

Hydrotherapy may be more suitable for children with CP because of the properties of water, and it may be more motivating for children than land-based exercise. Buoyancy makes it easier for children with moderate to severe mobility limitations to move in the water than to move and exercise on land.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age from 2 to 5 years.
• Both sexes.
• Children diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy, categorized according to the Gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) levels IV, V.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Botulinum toxin treatment or surgery in the preceding three months.
• Botox injections before or during the application of the program.
• Dorsal rhizotomy.