Effectiveness of routine physical therapy with or without home-based intensive bimanual training on clinical outcomes in cerebral palsy children: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction. This study aimed to test how normal physical treatment, with or without home-based intense bimanual training, affected hand coordination and daily living activities in children with cerebral palsy. Methods. A randomised controlled experiment was carried out at DHQ Hospital in Kasur, Pakistan. Thirty children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy took part in the study. The first group received standard physical treatment, whereas the second group received bimanual training along with routine physical therapy. Follow-ups were performed in the fourth and sixth weeks. The paediatric motor log activity scale and the ABILHAND questionnaire were used to assess daily activities and coordination, respectively. Results. At baseline, no significant association was seen between treatment groups and hand coordination outcome among the patients (p = 0.0450) and no significant difference was seen in patients in both treatment groups regarding their activities of daily living. In group A, no significant improvement was seen in hand coordination from baseline until the 6th week (p = 0.257) while in group B, a significant difference was seen in hand coordination from baseline until the 6th week follow-up (p = 0.000). Conclusions. This study concluded that the combined effect of home-based bimanual exercises and routine physical therapy shows significant achievements in hand coordination and activities of daily living.