Impact of Postural Control and Trunk Stabilization Training on Balance and Gross Motor Skills in Children with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Narrative Review.

Background: Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) is a common motor disorder in children, marked by poor postural stability, reduced motor control, and spasticity mainly in the lower limbs. Trunk control is crucial for movement coordination, balance, and gross motor skill development. Children with...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 51 - 63
Autores principales: Baheti, Nandini, Shinde, Shrikrishna, Yeole, Pritesh, Kaur, Amrit
Formato: review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Institute of Medico-legal publications Pvt Ltd Jul-Sep2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Background: Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) is a common motor disorder in children, marked by poor postural stability, reduced motor control, and spasticity mainly in the lower limbs. Trunk control is crucial for movement coordination, balance, and gross motor skill development. Children with SDCP typically exhibit delayed balance responses, insufficient postural adjustments, and weak trunk muscle activation, complicating their ability to sit, stand, or walk independently. Recent focus has shifted towards trunk-centered rehabilitation and postural control interventions in pediatric neuro-rehabilitation. This narrative review aims to summarize the impact of trunk stabilization training on the balance and gross motor skills of children with SDCP and identify research gaps in the field. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases for all randomized controlled trials published between 2015 and 2025. Studies were included if they involved children with SDCP, used interventions that focused on trunk or postural control, measured balance and/or gross motor function as outcomes, compared results with regular physiotherapy, and got a PEDro score of 7 or higher. The interventions that were looked at were core stabilization exercises, Swiss ball training, virtual reality therapy, neurodevelopmental treatment, dual-task training, functional strength training, sensory integration approaches, and balance training based on perturbation. Conclusion: The studies reviewed indicate that trunk-focused and postural control interventions significantly enhance balance, postural stability, and gross motor function in children with SDCP. Effective programs incorporated core activation, unstable-surface training, sensory-motor integration, and cognitive-motor dual-task activities, outperforming standard physiotherapy. Additional reported benefits included improved proprioceptive alignment, increased trunk muscle thickness, enhanced functional carryover, and better gait parameters. Despite these promising findings, further standardization of intervention protocols, dosage, and outcome measures is necessary to strengthen evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for this population.