Fisioterapia aquática no tratamento de crianças com paralisia cerebral: revisão de literatura

Abstract

Cerebral palsy, also known as a non-progressive sequelae, affects the immature and evolving central nervous system, depending on the type, severity and location, the injury is capable of causing changes in motor and cognitive development, including body movements and postures. These changes can occur during pregnancy, birth or early childhood. The causes are: lack of oxygen in the brain (Hypoxia), congenital infections, brain hemorrhages due to birth trauma, metabolic disorders, malnutrition, prematurity, leading to motor and muscle tone changes, body posture and cognitive changes. Among the different physiotherapeutic techniques used in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy, there is one that is presenting positive highlights known as aquatic physiotherapy, which uses the physical properties of water as a way of facilitating body movements and minimizing muscle tone. The objective of this study was to highlight the benefits of aquatic physiotherapy in children with Cerebral Palsy. A literature review was carried out, seeking to answer the problematization of the present study. In the search results, 154 articles were found, with around 144 articles being excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria and did not address the objective of the research. This left 10 studies that were carefully reviewed and presented. Regarding the results, it was observed that all studies highlight the functional and cognitive improvement of children with cerebral palsy through aquatic physiotherapy, promoting significant effects on muscle tone, pain relief and reduced spasm, increased range of movement, in muscle strengthening, improving trunk control and gaining flexibility. Thus, an improvement in the children's quality of life can be seen.