The effect of physiotherapy in water on children's posture, static trunk muscle endurance and balance

Study object: the effect of physiotherapy in water on children‘s posture, static trunk muscle endurance and balance. The aim of study: to determine the effect of physiotherapy in water on children‘s posture, static trunk muscle endurance and balance. The objectives: 1. Evaluate the effect of 7 week-long swimming workouts and physiotherapy in water on children‘s posture, static trunk muscle endurance and balance. 2. Compare the effect of 7 week-long swimming workouts and physiotherapy in water on children‘s posture, static trunk muscle endurance and balance. Study methods: the study involved 14 children in total (7 girls and 7 boys) that were 10-17 years old. The research lasted for 7 weeks. Randomly selected subjects were divided into two groups. The children from an experimental group (n = 7) were tested before and after 7 week-long physiotherapy in water. What is more, the children from a control group (n = 7) were also tested where swimming workouts were held. Their posture was tested according to W.W. K. Hoeger (1988) methodology, their static back, trunk and abdominal muscle endurance and balance were tested by applying „Flamingas“ test. Study results: the posture of experimental and control group after physiotherapy in water unchanged, statically significant improvement was not determined (p > 0,05). However, the improvement of static trunk muscle endurance and balance of experimental group was statically significant (p ≤ 0,05), the same is by comparing the experimental and control groups (p ≤ 0,05). Conclusions: 1. After 7 week-long physiotherapy course in water the posture of the children did not change, however the endurance of children trunk muscle and balance significantly improved. After swimming workouts the results of the children did not change. 2. 7 week-long physiotherapy in water significantly improved the endurance of children trunk muscle and balance compared to 7 week-long swimming workouts. However, there was no significant impact on the posture