The Effectiveness of Aquatic Therapy Based on the Halliwick Concept in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

The aim of the review was to evaluate the evidence regarding the effectiveness of aquatic rehabilitation based on the Halliwick concept (HC) in psychomotor development, gross motor function and aquatic skills of children with cerebral palsy. We followed PRISMA recommendations, performing a systematic search in PubMed, Science Direct, LILACS, SciELO, and PEDro database. We identified 474 studies; five met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Four studies demonstrated a significant improvement in gross motor function and aquatic skills. Social interaction skills were also improved. However, the methodological quality of these studies was limited, and then, research that adopt controlled experimental designs are necessary.

KEYWORDS:

• Cerebral palsy
• children
• hydrotherapy
• neurological rehabilitation
• systematic review

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was self-financed by the authors.