The Effectiveness of Physical Therapy in Improving Muscle Strength in Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract

Increasing muscle strength in the treatment of Down syndrome represents an important stage of the intervention plan, because one of the symptoms of this disorder is a generalized hypotonia. The study was conducted on 13 patients diagnosed with Down syndrome, the physical therapy strategy envisaging the improvement of muscle strength, both analytically, on muscle groups, and globally, by using therapeutic physical exercises. At the end of the physical therapy, all of the manually tested muscles (the biceps brachii, the triceps brachii, the latissimus dorsi, the rhomboids, the quadratus lumborum, the pectoralis major, the gluteus maximus, the iliopsoas, the pelvitrochanteric muscles, the adductor muscles, the tensor fascia lata, the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the sartorius, the triceps surae, the tibialis anterior, and the peroneus muscles) changed their scores, from some initial values between 3.08 and 3.77 points, to final values between 4-02 and 4.50 points, which showed a good muscle tonicity, the children succeeding in performing their usual activities with better precision and coordination.