OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of combining aquatic therapy with a home exercise program on balance, functionality, and quality of life in children with DMD/BMD, compared with a home exercise program alone. METHODS: Sixteen patients aged 5-18 years with DMD/BMD were included. Those at the top of the waiting list were assigned to the intervention group (n = 8), and those further down to the control group (n = 8). The intervention group received 30-minute Halliwick-based aquatic therapy three times per week for five weeks in a 30°C pool, in addition to a home exercise program. The control group performed a home exercise program alone while awaiting aquatic therapy. The home exercise program consisted of joint range-of-motion and stretching exercises only (30 minutes/day, five days/week). Exercises were performed under caregiver supervision, and adherence was assessed by caregiver report and investigator questioning. Outcomes assessed at baseline and week 5 included weekly fall frequency, balance (Pediatric Berg Balance Scale; Functional Reach Test), activity (ACTIVLIM), physical performance (10-m walk; 4-step tests), quality of life (PedsQL Neuromuscular Module), and muscle strength (manual muscle testing) and joint range of motion. RESULTS: Significant improvements in balance, activity, physical performance, and quality of life were observed in the intervention group, alongside a reduction in weekly fall frequency ( CONCLUSION: Combining aquatic therapy with a home exercise program was safe and well tolerated and was associated with greater short-term improvements in balance, functionality, and quality of life than a home exercise program alone, with reduced fall frequency over five weeks. These findings support integrating aquatic therapy into DMD/BMD management and justify larger randomized controlled trials to confirm efficacy and guide optimal regimens. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06186310.
Yılmaz et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
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