Aquatic Therapy for Gross Motor Function in Patients with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review
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Abstract
Cerebral palsy results from damage to the brain. Aquatic therapy is a therapeutic exercise performed in water. The purpose of this review was to examine the effectiveness of aquatic therapy on gross motor function in patients with cerebral palsy A literature search of eight online electronic databases was conducted to find relevant studies published in English between January 2005 and January 2022 using a search strategy. The collected research articles were assessed for quality of the evidence by 3 authors. The risk of bias was assessed, and the data were independently extracted using consensus in evaluating and selecting studies. If there is any disagreement, a joint consideration is concluded. The results showed that analysis and synthesis include the studies consisting of three randomised controlled trials, two case series, two case studies, one non-randomized controlled trial, and one quasi-experimental study that met the inclusion criteria. The total number of participants was 94. Most of them suffered from spastic cerebral palsy with Gross Motor Function Classification System level III (children walk using a hand-held mobility device in most indoor settings). Aquatic therapy was shown to be beneficial for patients with cerebral palsy. Further studies should involve CP across the GMFCS and type.
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