In this review, we summarise the evidence on the effectiveness and safety of physical activity interventions on quality of life and activities of daily living in young people with progressive neuromuscular disorders.
- Interventions for children with Neuromuscular Disorders (PDF 1MB)
- Interventions for children with Neuromuscular Disorders (DOCX 1MB)
We reviewed and analysed worldwide reports. The data came from 8 clinical studies with over 1,000 young people.
We found:
- Physical activity interventions done over 1 to 12 months show small benefits in daily activities and function. These can include conventional physio and low-impact exercise such as resistance training and stretching.
- There is not enough evidence from peer-reviewed literature to support the benefits of these interventions for quality of life.
- There is not enough evidence of the benefits or harmful effects of intensive physical activity interventions.
These include mobility interventions like:
- MEDEK therapy
- NeuroSuit
- SpiderCage therapy
- Lokomat training
The benefits of physical activity interventions for NDIS participants with progressive NMD should be reviewed at least every 12 months. This is because most studies did not deliver interventions beyond 12 months.
To find out more about this research, please email [email protected].