Impact of Gym Ball Exercise on Standing Balance in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Introduction: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is not a disease, but a non-progressive disorder that occurs in developing brain. CP has become the most common pediatrics problem which needs early medical diagnosis and intervention. CP children have balance difficulties because they are unable to perform their activities of daily living and have high risk of fall. Balance training using vestibular system, gym ball, and assistive devices is one of the main elements in the improvement of balance of CP children. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of gym ball exercise on standing balance in children with CP. Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 54 children diagnosed with either spastic, non-spastic, hemiplegic or diplegic CP. Gym ball exercises were regularly given to each participant for 3 weeks. Patient’s standing balance was assessed by using Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) before and after Gym ball exercises. Data was collected from the department of physiotherapy at (ACELP) Karachi. Paired-t test was used to compare the static balance before and after gym ball exercises. Results: There was no significant difference in standing unsupported between pre-exercise and post exercise (P=0.159). However, for other parameters including standing unsupported with eyes closed (P=0.00), standing unsupported with feet together (P=0.01), standing unsupported one foot in front (P=0.00), and standing on one leg (P=0.01), significant reduction were found after the intervention compared with before the intervention. Conclusion: It was found that the gym ball exercises could significantly improve the standing balance of children with CP.