Influence of aquatic physical therapy on gross motor skills in children under 5 years of age with cerebral palsy: Systematic review.

• Main Authors: Julio Latorre-García, María Luisa Rodríguez Doncel, Laura Baena García, Antonio Manuel Sánchez López, María José Aguilar Cordero
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asociación Para el Progreso de la Biomedicina 2017-05-01
• Series: Jounal of Negative and No Positive Results
• Subjects: Hydrotherapy; Kinesiology Applied; Chronic Encephalopathy; Infant Newborn Diseases
• Online Access: http://www.jonnpr.com/pdf/1408.pdf
• ISSN: 2529-850X; 2529-850X

Introduction: The aquatic environment has been used and is used to perform physiotherapy treatments in different pathologies including cerebral palsy. No method has been proven more effective than the others. Aim: The objective of this article is to carry out a systematic review of the scientific literature on how physical exercise in water affects the gross motor skills and neurodevelopment of children with cerebral palsy. Methods: A systematic search was carried out using the PRISMA model. The search for articles in this review was done in the databases through Scopus and PubMed, as well as in the Web of Science (WOS) platform and in official websites of international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO). The review was carried out between the months of June and December of the year 2016. Results: Of the 8 studies that met the inclusion criteria, only two used randomized control trial design and the results were mixed. Most of the studies used quasi-experimental designs and reported improvements in gross motor skills, for group analyzes, after the aquatic programs were maintained from two to three sessions a week and lasted from 6 to 16 weeks. Participants were evaluated and classified according to the different development scales, and were less than 5 years old. Conclusions: Although the different studies have not demonstrated a greater efficacy of aquatic physiotherapy compared to other treatment concepts, neither has been less, so that the exercise in water increases the therapeutic possibilities to which the chronic nature of the Pathology must access the patient throughout his life. Aquatic exercise is feasible and adverse effects are minimal; but the dosage parameters are not clear. However, in order to promote the prescription by physicians of this type of therapy, it is necessary to carry out research studies that demonstrate in a quantitative way the efficacy of the method, with longer and longer samples.