Kara Bruzdzinski Howard High School Site of internship: Physiotherapy Associates Mentor: Ashley Romm, PT, DPT.

About 1 in 323 children has

cerebral palsy.

Kara BruzdzinskiHoward High SchoolSite of internship:

Physiotherapy AssociatesMentor:

Ashley Romm, PT, DPT

I will discuss…InternshipCerebral palsy (CP)Therapy optionsTherapeutic

exercise vs. functional/task-specific therapy

Research/ResultsFuture

InternshipPhysiotherapy Associates

Dr. Ashley RommObserved Dr. Romm and

learned different therapy techniques

Worked with patients, walking them through exercises and getting heat or ice

Research Question:What is the effect of therapeutic exercise

versus functional/task-specific therapy on the mobility and functional skills of children with CP?

Hypothesis: Children with CP receiving a

functional/task-specific physical therapy program will improve more in mobility and functional skills than children receiving a therapeutic exercise program.

Cerebral Palsy (CP)No known cureMost common disorderCaused by damage of the developing brainAffects ability to move, learn, and speak

Treatment Options for CPPhysical TherapyMedicineSurgery

Research ApplicationNo accepted therapyBetter understanding of which therapies to

use

ResearchPrimary:Interviews with five pediatric physical

therapists: Revealed that a combination of therapies is the

most effective

“Any activity a child is doing should be structured to improve a functional skill” (Moldenhauer)

“Children are motivated by play; however, function is important as well” (Williams)

Research (cont.)Secondary:Conducted research on functional/task-

specific therapy and therapeutic exerciseExamined studies testing the effectiveness of

bothFound that a combination works best to

improve functional skills

Analysis

The results of this research showed that a combination of physical therapy techniques is the most effective.

Functional/task-specific therapy: works towards achieving a functional goal

Therapeutic exercise: engages the child; fun, while focusing on the underlying function

ConclusionPediatric physical therapists should use a

combination of therapeutic exercise and functional/task-specific when working with children with CP.

My FutureBiologyPediatric Physical Therapy

Pictures and Facts Websites http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/data.html http://www.therasuit.sk/index.php?option=com_content http://www.sigma.ba/nauka/cerebralna-paraliza-borba-bez-lijeka-a-u-kojoj-pobjeduju/ http://www.can-tr.org/cantr/our-programs/hippotherapy.html http://www.michigancerebralpalsyattorneys.com/about-cerebral-palsy/cerebral-palsy-t

reatments-and-therapies/cerebral-palsy-therapy/physical-therapy/ http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/04/surgery_hard_work_gets_cerebra.html http://mykidspot.net/physical-therapy-tri-cities/ http://www.pinterest.com/cpslaughter/pediatric-physical-therapy-ideas/ http://pediatricphysicaltherapyservices.com/suittherapy.htm http://thebrightdirection.com/physical-rehabilitation-therapy-and-cerebral-palsy-child

ren-1/

http://cabellhuntington.org/services/rehabilitation-services/pediatric-rehabilitation-services/

http://www.getdomainvids.com/keyword/cerebral%20palsy%20walker/