Citation

Hansen AB, Price KS, Loi EC, Buysse CA, Jaramillo TM, Pico EL, Feldman HM. J. Evid. Based Complementary Altern. Med. 2014; 19(4): 297-300.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA hfeldman@stanford.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/2156587214540466

PMID

24989994

Abstract

Children with spastic cerebral palsy experience difficulty with ambulation. Structural changes in muscle and fascia may play a role in abnormal gait. Myofascial structural integration (Rolfing) is a manual therapy that manipulates muscle and soft tissues to loosen fascia layers, reposition muscles, and facilitate alignment. This study aimed to document (1) gait characteristics of 2 children with cerebral palsy and (2) effects of myofascial structural integration on their gait. Children received 3 months of weekly therapy sessions by an experienced practitioner. Gait parameters were recorded at baseline and after treatment using an electronic walkway. Children with cerebral palsy demonstrated abnormal velocity and cadence, decreased step length and single support times, and increased double support time. After treatment, both children demonstrated improvement for 3 months in cadence and double support time. The objective gait analyses demonstrated temporary improvements after myofascial structural integration in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Language: en