REHABILITATION APPROACHES TO RESTORATIVE TREATMENT OF MOTOR FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AT THE PRESENT STAGE

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of symptoms resulting from developmental abnormalities or damage to parts of the brain that control muscle movements (motor areas of the cortex). It is known that motor disorders can be accompanied by impairments in vision, hearing, and speech, which complicates the perception of signals from the environment, formation of sensations, and leads to cognitive and communication disorders, as well as to disturbances in cognitive development, socialization, and behavior. Physical therapy for children with CP remains relevant, as many researchers from around the world continue to investigate this problem and discover new unexplored aspects of physical therapy and occupational therapy. The aim of the study was to investigate the features of the application of existing means and methods of physical therapy in the restorative treatment of motor functions in children with cerebral palsy, taking into account their effectiveness. Methods. Analysis, systematization, and generalization of scientific and methodological literature from the main databases: Cochrane, PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar for the last 10 years using keywords “cerebral palsy, motor disorders, rehabilitation, restoration means”. Results. The most common worldwide physical therapy techniques for children with cerebral palsy were analyzed, such as: Bobath therapy (neurodevelopmental therapy – NDT); Vojta therapy (reflex locomotion); V.V. Pevchenkov’s method (TANDO therapy); Pete’s method (conductive education); K.O. Semenova’s method (treatment of motor disorders in cerebral palsy); V.I. Kozyavkin’s method (intensive neurophysiological rehabilitation system – INRS), as well as less known techniques that also have a positive impact on physical indicators, quality of life of the child and their adaptation to society. Conclusions. All the methodologies we found have a positive impact on the course of the disease, but they are aimed at restoring various aspects and manifestations of the illness, leaving room for new research in solving the problems of rehabilitation of children with CP. When developing a physical rehabilitation program for children with cerebral palsy, it is important to use a systematic approach based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health of Persons with CP. From the wide arsenal of physiotherapeutic methods, it is necessary to use only those techniques/tools or their combination with clear tracking of their effectiveness using adequacy criteria that address the problems in a specific child and aim to improve their social and domestic adaptation.