Physical therapy guideline for children with malnutrition in low income countries: clinical commentary

Abstract

Physical therapy intervention along with nutritional rehabilitation has recently become an inevitable combo after recent evidences suggesting a strong interaction between malnutrition and neuro-muscular disabilities which contribute to a significant burden in global settings. Recent studies confirm that appropriate physical assessment of neuro-musculo skeletal system, developmental assessment or cognitive tools along with nutritional assessments followed by exercise rehabilitation will yield positive results in children with malnutrition. There is an obvious need to make available a simple physical therapy exercise guidelines with simple measure and exercise to be used in resource limited settings of developing countries. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to summarize simple assessment tools to evaluate activity impairment, participation restriction, gross motor activity and simple physical therapy intervention program for children with disability secondary to malnutrition.

Keywords: Exercise; Malnutrition; Physical therapy; Play therapy.

Fig. 1

Gross Motor Functioning Classification System (GMFCS) descriptors and illustrations for children between their 6th and 12th birthday.