Increase in Motion Range of the Cervical Spine by Means of Physical Rehabilitation in Children with Cerebral Palsy According to the Severity of Muscle Pain

Abstract

Aim: The article experimentally examines the effect of rehabilitation measures on increasing the volume of movements of the cervical spine, taking into account the severity of muscle pain in children with cerebral palsy. Materials and Methods: The study involved 168 children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy, they were divided into two observation groups: the main group, which conducted the proposed rehabilitation course (n = 98) and control, who underwent a course of conventional rehabilitation content (n = 70). Results: During application of the proposed method, the therapeutic effect on pathologically significant areas of bilateral muscle kinematic chains was carried out taking into account their mutual antagonism, bilateral symmetry, taking into account the course of homolateral and heterolateral muscle spirals. Positive dynamics in the clinical status in the vast majority of patients during re-observation was achieved, but the effectiveness of rehabilitation and the stability of the achieved therapeutic effect in the study groups were different. Thus, in patients of the main and control groups, changes in the mobility of the cervical spine were detected, which were recorded using the proposed integrated assessment. Namely, in patients who were engaged in the proposed method, the amount of movement in the cervical spine (passive lateral tilt with an element of rotation) probably increased when compared with the indicators before rehabilitation. Also noteworthy is statistically significant reduction in pain intensity, which allows for more manipulative rehabilitation. Conclusions: The proposed method of rehabilitation of children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy has a pronounced sanogenetic effect, meaning it stimulates their own health reserves and triggers a cascade of reactions of the body aimed at forming a healthy motor stereotype. It involves influence on organism of the patient by rehabilitation procedures with inclusion in work of all biokinematic muscular chain at the same time, taking into account spiral construction of muscles of a body, which allows to achieve a more pronounced therapeutic effect.