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Professor Hopes Underwater Treadmill Will Help Cerebral Palsy Patients
A professor and expert in exercise science in the health and human performance department at Middle Tennessee State University, Dr. Don Morgan hopes he can begin testing his underwater treadmill to help children with cerebral palsy gain greater strength in their lower extremities, lessen their level of fatigue and increase their level of mobility.
Morgan began his work with athletes, but it was after he looked at a study funded by the National Institutes of Health that examined how physical growth impacted the energy demands of walking and running in children that he realized no one had ever done a longitudinal study including kids with disabilities become more economical in their movements. Morgan studied 40 typically developing six-year-old children believing if he could understand the relationship between physical growth and improved locomotion efficiency some of the findings could be applied to physically challenged children as well.
After conducting pilot studies with his associates, results suggested children with cerebral palsy require higher energy demands, leading to greater fatigue and reduced mobility when compared to non-physically challenged children. The idea for an underwater treadmill formed after the researchers began questioning how to develop strength among children with a higher energy cost of walking and a lesser maximum aerobic capacity.
Use of underwater treadmills is considered a relatively new technology, but athletic teams have been using it to rehabilitate athletes and it is also used among older arthritis patients. With traditional water therapy Morgan said it does not mimic the same normal walking motion because the person will normally lean forward, but with a treadmill the speed is controlled, allowing leg strength to be developed within the water while creating less joint stress.
Morgan submitted a proposal to NIH and received funding of $310,000. He hopes a study including 60 children with spastic cerebral palsy who are affected on both sides of their bodies, more so in their legs than arms, will help identify a new method of improving the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy.
Contact a cerebral palsy lawyer to find out if your child or someone you know is eligible for compensation to cover treatment costs.