Bobath Therapy for Cerebral Palsy: An Efficacy Study

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is among the most severe perinatal lesions in the central nervous system and a leading cause of childhood disability. Aim to assess how Bobath therapy affects the motor functions and physical development of preschool children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. The study includes 42 (46.7%) boys and 48 (53.3%) girls aged four diagnosed with spastic diplegia. All patients were divided into two comparison groups of 45 children based on the method of physical rehabilitation: children enrolled in a conventional rehabilitation program (control group) and children receiving standard rehabilitation together with Bobath therapy (treatment group). After a course of integrated physical rehabilitation, patients demonstrated an improvement in motor skills: 15 (33.3%) children (p<0.05) with GMFCS level 2 improved to level 1, and 16 (35.6%) children (p<0.05) with GMFCS level 3 improved to level 2. In the control group, only 6 (13.3%) children (p<0.05) with GMFCS level 2 improved to level 1, and 11 (24.4%) children (p<0.05) with GMFCS level 3 improved to level 2. The conventional physical rehabilitation combined with Bobath therapy has a positive effect on the motor skills and physical development of children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.