Effects of Partial Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training
on Children with Cerebral Palsy

The Recovery of Running Ability in an Adolescent Male After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Study
Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, 33:111-120

Summary by Sonya Seif

In traditional rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury, the goal is to return the patient to independence in daily functional activities. Given this benchmark of success, individuals are rarely given the opportunity to work on higher level tasks – running, for example. In an attempt to recover his ability to run one mile with his peers, a 17-year-old boy who had sustained a TBI in a skiing accident undertook a rehabilitation program designed to improve his range of motion, strength, balance, and motor control above what was simply necessary for walking.

Before the treatment outlined in this study, the young man had significant left lower extremity weakness, impaired standing balance, limited endurance, and running limitations. He had already received 4.5 months of subacute rehab and was discharged with the ability to walk household distances independently with a crutch; he used a wheelchair outside of the home. In order to reach his goal of running one mile, intervention consisted of three phases. Phase I included strength training once a week for 17 weeks, phase II moved on to body weight-supported treadmill training once a week for 15 weeks and phase III reintroduced strength training exercises in conjunction with overground running outdoors. In addition to muscle strength, maximum running distance, and running quality, the outcome measures used in this study were the following: bounding onto a single leg, toe walking, backward step up, and time standing on one leg.

Results of the 38 week study indicated increased muscle strength of the lower extremities. Both the speed and quality of his running improved, along with his endurance. Increased strength and the development of better mechanics to absorb forces at impact meant he could progress to a less restrictive carbon fiber brace. Most importantly, the young man reached his goal and was able to run one mile independently and participated in track and softball during physical education for the duration of his time in high school.