Two Methods of Weight-Training for Children with Spastic Type of Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Five boys, all afflicted with the spastic type of cerebral palsy, engaged in a weight-training program consisting of static-contractions with one leg and concentric-contractions with the other leg. The tests used to measure the strength of the extensor muscles and the range of motion of the lower leg before, during, and after the eight-week program showed that both methods produced statistically significant increases in strength and in range of motion. There was no significant difference between the two methods.