Performance of functional aquatic physical therapy on shift in sitting posture in congenital amyoplasia: case study

AIMS: To describe the role of aquatic therapy in drag on sitting posture in a child with congenital amyoplasia. CASE REPORT: A three-year-old girl with congenital amyoplasia participated in a rehabilitation program consisting of 24 sessions of aquatic therapy. The evaluations were performed on the first day, after 12 sessions and at the end of the program. The time of drag in the seated position and the items 24 (sitting on the mat keeps arms free for three seconds) and 25 (sitting on the carpet plays small toy in front) of the sitting dimension of the instrument Gross Motor Function Measure 88 (GMFM-88) were measured. The therapy consisted of an exercise program with the goals of muscle activation, flexibility, weight transfer and trunk stabilization in the seated position. After the aquatic therapy intervention there was improvement in motor function, with greater displacement speed in the sitting position. CONCLUSIONS: Following the aquatic therapy program applied to this patient with congenital amyoplasia, positive results were verified. There was improvement in trunk control, increasing its stability and reflecting on its functionality, with greater speed in drag in the sitting posture.