Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of craniocervical flexion exercise on deep cervical flexor thickness and gait in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Methods : Twelve children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy were recruited for this study. All subjects performed active craniocervical flexion exercise 3times a week over the course of 6weeks. using a pressure bio feedback unit. Ultrasonography was used to assess deep cervical flexor thickness, and a 10m walking test was used to assess gait function. For the statistical analysis, a paired t-test was used to compare the differences pre- and post-value. SPSS Statistics version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis, and statistical significance was defined as a p-value less than 0.05.
Result : The results of this study indicate that children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy experienced statistically significant positive changes in both deep cervical flexor thickness (p<.05). and gait(p<.05) following the intervention.
Conclusion : In conclusion, craniocervical flexion exercise can positively affect deep cervical flexor thickness in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which in turn positively affects gait.