Restorative Effects of Aquatic Exercise Therapies on Motor, Gait, and Cardiovascular Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Review of Literature.

Background and purpose. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability and produces highly varying degrees of motor impairment including muscle weakness, balance and sensory deficiencies, decreased aerobic capacity, decreased motor control, spastic hypertonia, and atypical gait. Methods. The physical rehabilitation of children with CP commonly places therapeutic emphasis on improving muscle strength, physical and cardiorespiratory fitness, motor control, and functional independence. The therapeutic aquatic environment provides additional benefits to the rehabilitation process by using the natural gravity-reducing, resistive, and thermodynamic properties of water. Results. This review examines the efficacy of the previously studied aquatic exercise therapy protocols in producing changes in gross motor function, cardiorespiratory performance, and gait in children and adolescents with CP. Discussion. Given the limited breadth and depth of the literature at large, conclusive findings as to the efficacy of specific aquatic therapies can not be stated. However, the similar trends in the effectiveness of the therapies found in all examined therapeutic environments support the general consensus of their benefit and safety. Conclusions. The documented evidence in aquatic CP rehabilitation supports the idea that aquatic exercise therapy may be beneficial for children and adolescents with CP, with considerable evidence supporting improvements in gross motor function.