Læs hele bacheloropgaven her - Børnefysioterapi

Considerations concerning motor control and motor learning in physical
therapeutic treatment of children with cerebral palsy
- a qualitative study based on a case report and two semi-structured coupled
interviews.
Mirjam Gismervik.
Supervisor: Grethe Birkekær, Physiotherapist, Master of Sports and Welfare.
CVU Øresund, Faculty of Physiotherapy Copenhagen, Bachelor Degree in Physiotherapy
June 2006.
Contact: Mirjam Gismervik. E-mail: chrogmir@hotmail.com
Background: Children with CP represents a considerable speciality for physiotherapists.
There is lack of evidence for the traditional physical therapeutic approach towards children
with CP and a growing interest for an alternative approach. The theoretical understanding of
the physiotherapeutic core elements motor control and motor learning has undergone a great
change towards what has been termed Movement science.
Purpose: To experience, describe and reflect upon a period of movement science-prescribed
gait-training with a child with CP. To examine, describe and reflect upon the theoretical
basis and practical approach presented by four paediatric physiotherapists working with
children with CP.
Method and Material: The case report describes a three weeks treatment-period with a
child with CP, focusing on a Movement science-defined motor learning process in relation to
gait-training. Two semi-structured coupled interviews were performed, the informants being
four paediatric physiotherapists with different degrees of experience. The interviews were
analysed using a modified and reduced version of The Grounded Theory.
Results: The case report illustrated that the child’s motivation was decisive for effectuating
the gait-training. She apparently responded positively on context-variation and demonstrated
transfer of learned function from training-context to home-environment. When analysing the
interviews it was found that the paediatric physiotherapists focused on the children’s
motivation in their treatment of children with CP.
Conclusion/discussion: The case report illustrated that the child with CP apparently gained
from a Movement science-prescribed gait-training. The paediatric physiotherapists was
treating the children with CP from a more or less Movement science perspective, but most of
all their theoretical foundation was an eclectic one.
Perspectives: Further studies must evaluate the relevance, prevalence and usefulness of a
movement science perspective in physical therapeutic treatment of children with CP.
Key words: Paediatric physiotherapy, cerebral palsy, motor control, motor learning,
Movement science.
3