기능적 근력강화 운동이 뇌성마비 아동의 기립균형에 미치는 영향

The Effect of Functional Strengthening Exercise of Standing Balance in a Child With Cerebral Palsy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of functional strengthening exercise on static and dynamic standing balance in a child with cerebral palsy. The subject was a 7 year old boy with diplegia whose Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) score was 80% along with G1 of the lower extremities in Modified Ashworth Scale. The subject was ambulatory with some degree of limitation and demonstrated muscle weakness and strength asymmetry in the lower extremities. A changing criterion design for a single-subject research was used for this study. The functional strengthening exercise consisted of lower extremity ergometer exercise and knee exercise with grading movement in standing position, each for 20 minutes, which lasted 18 sessions for 6 weeks. A knee extensor strength test on both extremities and standing balance test were conducted after each functional strengthening exercise. Two types of standing balance were tested: one leg stance test and functional reach test. One leg stance test was to evaluate static standing balance, and functional reach test was to evaluate dynamic standing balance. The results showed that the functional strengthening exercise had some positive effects on improvement of both static and dynamic standing balance, and there was a positive correlation between the knee strength and standing balance.