Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. Individuals with CP often experience challenges related to balance and postural control, which can affect their ability to perform functional tasks. Individuals with Spastic Quadriplegic CP (SQCP) have difficulty in maintaining balance and symmetrical weight distribution. Structured exercise programs incorporating balance training and strength exercises have been found to be effective in improving postural control and balance in children with CP. PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of balance and strength exercises on gait measures in a young adult with SQCP. METHODS: The participant engaged in training for 80 minutes twice weekly for eight weeks. Each session consisted of a warm-up, gait treadmill training, balance and strength exercises, and cool-down. Intensity, duration and number of rest breaks for each were determined by the participant. Warm-up and cool down stretches consisted of both proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and active-passive. Separate gait trials were completed at 0 weeks and 4 weeks in which gait measures were assessed while walking on a treadmill at 0.7 speed for 10 strides. Gait was assessed by measuring the duration of stance and swing phase for each foot and peak plantar normal force using loadsol (novel electronics, inc.) force sensing insoles. RESULTS: Pre (week 0) and midpoint (week 4) data was collected, however, due to unforeseen facility circumstances, the researchers were unable to collect post (week 8) intervention data. At baseline, the participant displayed an asymmetric gait in which the left leg spent 60% in the stance phase and 40% swing phase while the right leg spent 80% of the gait cycle in stance and 20% in swing. At the midpoint the participant’s gait showed greater symmetry with both legs spending 80% in stance and 20% in swing. Peak force increased in the right leg from 1.5BW (week 0) to 1.6BW (week 4). CONCLUSION:The combination of balance and strength exercises improved gait symmetry and increased peak force in the right leg. The modest improvements observed in this short period highlight areas for future research to enhance the understanding of gait in adults with CP. The importance of individualized programming to enhance gait lies in the fact that every person with Cerebral Palsy has unique abilities, making it essential to create tailored training programs that promote safe, progressive improvements in physical activities.
Recommended Citation
Deitch, Madison; Mikan, Vanessa PhD; and Dean, Taylor
(2025)
"The Influence of Balance and Strength Training on Gait Symmetry in an Individual with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
17, Article 103.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/103
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