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Home Treadmill Training and Spina Bifada

Recent research was published on a home treadmill training program for children with spina bifada. Eighteen children were assigned to the experimental group who participated in a 12 week, 2 times per week, home based progressive treadmill training program. The 14 children in the control group had their usual care for the 12 weeks. The home based treadmill training program resulted in significant changes in the 6 minute walking tests, peak speed, gross energy consumption and VO2peak. Long term results (3 months post intervention) were still seen with ambulation but only a short term effect with VO2peak.

Reference: Janke F. de Groot et. al. Randomized Controlled Study of Home-Based Treadmill Training for Ambulatory Children With Spina Bifida Neurorehabil Neural Repair September 2011 25: 597-606, first published on March 17, 2011 doi:10.1177/1545968311400094