Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of permanent movement disorder requiring continuous rehabilitation from infancy through adulthood. The current practice as to the methods used in physiotherapy and intensity of physiotherapy differs between countries.
Objectives: 1) To systematically review the evidence on the effect of varying intensity of physiotherapy and of the methods used in physiotherapy for children with CP, and 2) to compare this evidence with current practices in CP rehabilitation in Finland.
Methods: The literature search was made in April-June 2003 from Medline, CINAHL and PedRO databases and the Cochrane Library. Structured questionnaires were sent to the rehabilitation teams of five university hospitals, 15 central hospitals, one rehabilitation centre and three special schools to gather information on current rehabilitation possibilities. In addition the teams were asked to make rehabilitation plans for three children with varying severity of diplegic CP presented on video with written short summary.
Results: Physiotherapy effectiveness research is methodologically very heterogeneous and the evidence is limited. In Finland, current practices of rehabilitation of children with CP showed large variation.
Conclusions: Well-designed studies are clearly needed. Due to the methodological problems in forming a RCT study in this very heterogeneous population multi-centre studies are clearly required. The current practice in Finland calls for consensus based on the existing, though limited, evidence to provide equal opportunities of rehabilitation within the country that dont underestimate or overestimate the possibilities of various intervention methods.
Objectives: 1) To systematically review the evidence on the effect of varying intensity of physiotherapy and of the methods used in physiotherapy for children with CP, and 2) to compare this evidence with current practices in CP rehabilitation in Finland.
Methods: The literature search was made in April-June 2003 from Medline, CINAHL and PedRO databases and the Cochrane Library. Structured questionnaires were sent to the rehabilitation teams of five university hospitals, 15 central hospitals, one rehabilitation centre and three special schools to gather information on current rehabilitation possibilities. In addition the teams were asked to make rehabilitation plans for three children with varying severity of diplegic CP presented on video with written short summary.
Results: Physiotherapy effectiveness research is methodologically very heterogeneous and the evidence is limited. In Finland, current practices of rehabilitation of children with CP showed large variation.
Conclusions: Well-designed studies are clearly needed. Due to the methodological problems in forming a RCT study in this very heterogeneous population multi-centre studies are clearly required. The current practice in Finland calls for consensus based on the existing, though limited, evidence to provide equal opportunities of rehabilitation within the country that dont underestimate or overestimate the possibilities of various intervention methods.