Immediate Effects of Exercise and Manual Therapy on Cervico-Mandibular Mobility and Postural Alignment in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

In 30 seconds

This randomized crossover trial investigated the immediate effects of exercise and manual therapy on cervico-mandibular mobility in 52 children with spastic cerebral palsy (mean age 10.8 years). Both interventions significantly improved mandibular and cervical mobility (p < 0.001), with exercise showing greater gains in active mandibular movements and manual therapy enhancing cervical mobility.

Key findings

• Exercise led to greater improvements in active mandibular movements compared to manual therapy.
• Manual therapy resulted in larger enhancements in cervical mobility.
• Both interventions significantly increased craniovertebral angle with no significant difference between them.
• Effect sizes for both interventions were moderate to large.

Why it matters

Understanding the immediate effects of different rehabilitation strategies on mobility can help clinicians tailor interventions for children with spastic cerebral palsy, potentially improving their functional outcomes and quality of life.