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

Benha University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Spastic Cerebral Palsy; Children; Muscle Spasticity; Diving; Motor Function; Aquatic

Treatments: Other: Intensive swimming program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06902168

RC 4-2-2025

Details and patient eligibility

About

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

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 37 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 2 to 5 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

37 participants in 1 patient group

Intensive swimming program

Experimental group

Description:

The participants will be enrolled in an intensive swimming program for 8 weeks (45 minutes) in the swimming pool. The swimming program will be to improve safety and functional independence in the water. The hydrotherapy will be performed at a swimming pool temperature suitable for the weather temperature.

Treatment:

Other: Intensive swimming program