This study used a repeated measures design to assess the effect of an eight-week repetitive passive movement (RPM) intervention on lower extremity muscle tone and function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Eighteen children (aged 9.5 [plus or minus] 2.1 years) with spastic CP were randomly assigned to a knee RPM intervention condition of 3…

Despite the frequent use of joint mobilizations and the available evidence of its effectiveness as a treatment for various musculoskeletal disorders, it is a technique that has been shown to have great variability within and between raters. This variability is believed to occur because of differences between therapists' ability to perceive…

Hippotherapy (HPOT) is a therapy that uses horse movement. This pilot investigation objectively evaluated the efficacy of HPOT in improving head/trunk stability in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The participants were six children with spastic diplegia and six children without disability. Head and trunk stability was challenged by using a…

Reliability and measurement precision of manual muscle testing (MMT) and hand-held dynamometry (HHD) were compared for children with spina bifida. Strength measures were obtained of the hip flexors, hip abductors, and knee extensors of 20 children (10 males, 10 females; mean age 9 years 10 months; range: 5 to 15 years) by two experienced physical…

Computer assisted psychomotor training is recognized as an appropriate tool in motor skill acquisition in adults with and without physical limitations. In specialized populations of individuals with physical deficits such as Parkinson's disease, previous researchers have examined the application of computer assisted training during upper extremity…