Efficacy of cold therapy on spasticity and hand function in children with cerebral palsy

Spasticity remains a major cause of disability among children with cerebral palsy (CP). Effective management depends on careful assessment and an interdisciplinary treatment approach. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cold therapy when used in combination with conventional physical and occupational therapy to control upper limbs’ spasticity and to improve hand function in children with spastic CP. Thirty children of both sexes (12 girls and 18 boys) with spastic CP with ages ranged from 4 to 6 years (mean age 62.2 ± 7.5 months) participated in this study. They had mild to moderate spasticity in elbow and wrist flexors. Children were randomly divided into two groups of equal number: group I and group II. Children in group I received cold therapy on elbow and wrist flexors immediately before the application of conventional physical and occupational therapy. Those in group II received the same conventional occupational and physical therapy only. In both groups treatment was conducted three times per week for a successive 3 months. Spasticity, range of motion (ROM) and hand function were evaluated before and after the treatment by using the Modified Ashworth Scale, the electronic goniometer and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale, respectively. Both groups showed a statistically significant reduction in spasticity, increase in ROM and improvement of hand function but group I showed a more significant improvement. It can be concluded that cold therapy in conjunction with conventional physical and occupational therapy significantly reduced spasticity, increased ROM and improved hand function in children with spastic CP.