Effect of PNF on Selective Motor Control and Balance in CP

Riphah International University

Status: Completed

Conditions: CP (Cerebral Palsy)

Treatments: Other: Traditional physical therapy; Other: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques.

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05649501

REC/22/0725 Misbah Tahir

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cerebral palsy is attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing infant brain or fetal characterized by abnormalities of muscle tone, movement and motor skills. PNF technique is thought to have an impact on voluntary motor control and balance through stimulation of proprioceptors, so the aim of this study is to determine the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique on selective motor control and balance on children with cerebral palsy.

Full description

A case study was conducted in 2021 to determine the effects of PNF training for improving lower limb coordination in 7 years old cerebral palsy child. After the intervention, significant improvement is seen in gait parameters, balance, and gross motor functional classification score.

A case report was conducted in 2020, to determine the effectiveness of PNF technique in improving lower extremity function in spastic diplegic cerebral palsied adolescent. Patient was treated with tone inhibitory and movement facilitatory techniques. There was significant change in balance and lower extremity function before and after the treatment.

There are multiple impairments in spastic cerebral palsy children; the inability to perform purposeful voluntary movements is a critical factor in determining functional ability of children. Since selective voluntary motor control is an important factor that must be achieved in cerebral palsy children, PNF may be considered as a technique to gain selective voluntary control and balance proving an important intervention for cerebral palsy children.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children diagnosed as spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
• Age between 5-12 years and both genders.
• Gross motor function level II and III according to gross motor functional classification scale (GMFCS).
• Spasticity range between 1 and 1+ grade according to modified ashworth scale
• Children who are able to follow simple verbal instructions

Exclusion criteria

• Children with uncontrolled epilepsy
• Children who show no cooperation
• Children receiving botulinum toxin injections or surgery no earlier than 6 months before project starts.
• Subjects with presence of shortening or deformities of lower limb

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques

Experimental group

Description:

Experimental group will receive proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching which include hold-relax and contract-relax for 6 sec hold, 10 repetitions and 2 min rest in between, for 5 day/week for 4 weeks along with conventional physical therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques.

traditional physical therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

this group will receive conventional therapy (ROMs, stretching, strengthening).

Treatment:

Other: Traditional physical therapy

Other: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques.