Effects of 8-Weeks Aquatic Exercise Program on Static and Dynamic Balance in the Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of aquatic exercise on the static and dynamic balance of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. It was a quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-test design. The population consisted of 8 to 10 years old children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy without intellectual disabilities from Tehran. Thirty subjects classified in level 1-3 were selected with available and targeted sampling method from Eslamshar's Center of Exceptional Children, and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (each including 15 children) base on a pre-test. Subjects in the intervention group participated in an aquatic exercise program for three one-hour sessions per week over 8 weeks. The control group did not participate in any of these exercises and continued their daily activities. Postural control was evaluated using Biodex Balance SystemTM in the significance level of P