Exercise can benefit cerebral palsy patients

Combining an exercise programme with the standard care of cerebral palsy patients can help in improving the fitness and quality of life. Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders resulting from brain damage that occurs before, during or shortly after birth. It is characterised by loss of movement and nerve functions. Those affected by it have problems in mobility (crawling, creeping, walking), use of hands (eating, writing, dressing) and communication. There is no specific cure but the goal of treatment of cerebral palsy is to make the child independent. This can be done by providing help through physiotherapy, orthopaedic correction, braces, appropriate visual help such as spectacles, hearing aids, medications and special schooling, if possible. To assess benefits of an exercise-training programme for cerebral palsy patients, researchers at the Rehabilitation Center "De Hoogstraat" in Utrecht studied 86 children between 7 and 18 years old with cerebral palsy over an 8-month period. These participants were randomly assigned to either the training group or the control group. The training group met twice per week for 45 minutes to circuit train in a group format that focused on aerobic and anaerobic exercises. The results showed significant improvements in aerobic and anaerobic capacity in patients in the training group. A significant benefit was also seen for agility, muscle strength, and athletic competence. On health-related quality-of-life measures, those dealing with movement ability, autonomy, and cognition all improved significantly. Thus, an exercise-training program can improve physical fitness, participation level, and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy when added to standard care.