Can adults with cerebral palsy perform and benefit from ballistic strength training to improve walking outcomes? A mixed methods feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Power bursts of hips and ankle plantar flexors are prerequisites to walking propulsion. However, these power bursts are reduced during gait for persons with cerebral palsy (CP) and mainly in the ankle plantar flexors. Hence, task specific training, such as ballistic strength training, is suggested to increase muscle power in walking but not investigated in adults with CP. Therefore, the aim was to investigate if adults with CP could perform and benefit from ballistic strength training to improve walking, evaluated through physical measures and self-reported measures and interviews.

Methods

In this mixed methods feasibility study, eight ambulatory adults (aged 24-56) with spastic CP conducted ballistic strength training on a glideboard targeting the ankle plantarfl

SUBMITTER: Gjesdal BE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8684268 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature