Valoración de una intervención de fisioterapia acuática en niños con parálisis cerebral mediante la gross motor function measure. Un estudio de casos

Background: The present study is based on a previous bibliographic review of pool treatment techniques for patients affected by infantile cerebral palsy (CP). Having found no significant differences between the different methods and techniques used, we designed an exercise programme according to the model of psychomotor development of the healthy child, implementing it and assessing its effectiveness in the treatment of people with this pathology, using hydrotherapy oriented towards structural, functional and social aspects in the overall rehabilitation process. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the evolution of gross motor function in children affected by CP after six months of treatment. Method: This is a prospective longitudinal study of 12 patients aged between 18 and 33 months at baseline, 9 boys and 3 girls. The treatment protocol consisted of a weekly session of 30 minutes, of which 20 minutes were spent entirely in the swimming pool. It was assessed using the validated Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) scale before hydrotherapy and six months after starting the intervention. No control group was used because the diverse symptomatology of this pathology makes it inadvisable. Each patient is their own control between the pre- and post-test. Results: A statistically significant improvement is observed in the global GMFM scale and in specific aspects of the subscales: a) Lying and rolling, b) Sitting, c) Crawling and kneeling, d) Standing, e) Walking, Running, jumping. Conclusions: Hydrotherapy promotes the development of gross motor skills in children affected by CP. It also contributes to a positive development in the normal GMFM curve and a post-intervention improvement in the corresponding percentiles.