Aquatic Based Exercises Versus Mirror Therapy on Hand Dexterity and Strength in Hemiplegic Child

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Aquatic Exercise: Aquatic exercise or hydrotherapy, involving the performance of physical exercise in water, has been determined to have an assortment of beneficial health impacts on healthy individuals and those with chronic diseases. Aquatic exercise has been determined to enhance strength, balance, flexibility, and the quality of life, particularly among groups like postmenopausal women, patients with osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, and type 2 diabetes

Mirror Therapy: Mirror therapy is a type of rehabilitation where visual feedback is employed to induce movement and recovery in an affected limb by asking the patients to observe the reflection of their healthy limb in a mirror, giving the illusion that both limbs are moving normally.

Designed physical therapy program.: The program will start with 10 minutes of poolside exercises including warming up, active range of motion and stretching followed by 20 minutes of aquatic exercise in the pool. The pool session consists of 20 minutes of active range of motion, stretching and strengthening exercises

Study summary

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurologic disorder that affects motor function, balance, and posture, and spastic hemiplegia is found in about one-third of persons with CP and often leads to devastating upper limb disability. Rehabilitation interventions such as aquatic therapy and mirror therapy are commonly utilized to improve motor function and functional independence. Water therapy takes advantage of water resistance and buoyancy to relax tightened muscles, promote gross motor function, and increase muscle endurance and strength with studies showing significant improvements in motor skills as well as a reduction in spasticity in CP children, especially hemiplegic children. Water therapy can also be more enjoyable and convenient for kids, but safety has to be considered. Mirror therapy does utilize visual feedback, but to cause the movement in the paralyzed limb, and can increase hand dexterity and grip strength by stimulating the neural pathways through the illusion of movement. Although aquatic therapy has shown well-defined advantages in motor functioning and muscle tone, comparison of the efficacy of aquatic exercises and mirror therapy for hand dexterity and grip strength in hemiplegic CP has been limited, and further studies are indicated to establish their relative merits and potential complementary uses.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Box and Block Test: It was used to assess gross manual dexterity — 3 Months
  The Box and Block Test (BBT) is a widely used test to evaluate gross manual dexterity by rehabilitation centers and occupational therapy clinics. The individual has to move as many blocks as possible from one of the compartments of a box to the other in a given time period, usually one minute, using one hand at a time. The BBT is valued for simplicity, ease of use, and strong reliability and validity across the lifespan, and in clinical populations like children, adults, and those with neurological or musculoskeletal disorder
• Hand held dynamometer to assess hand grip strength. — 3 Months
  A popular, trustworthy, and legitimate tool for evaluating hand grip strength-a crucial sign of general muscle function and health-is a hand-held dynamometer.

Trial sites (1)

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