Effect of rhythmic stabilization on spatiotemporal gait parameters in children with Down syndrome: a pilot study

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Children with DS exhibit gross and fine motor delays, as well as various developmental issues depending on the severity of the condition. Specifically, physical disability occurs due to generalized hypotonia and ligamentous laxity, which result in gait abnormalities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of rhythmic stabilization on spatiotemporal gait parameters in children with Down syndrome. METHOD: Children with DS aged 5–10 years were recruited for this study. Gait analysis was performed to assess the spatiotemporal parameters: (a) cadence, (b) velocity, (c) step length, (d) stride length, and (e) step width. Kinovea software was used to calculate these measures. Rhythmic stabilization was administered for 8 weeks on alternate days. Each participant in the intervention group received a 10-min warm-up and cool-down session, along with 30 min of pelvic and lower limb rhythmic stabilization exercises. The control group was performed home-based strengthening exercises. Independent and paired t-tests were used to analyze the spatiotemporal gait parameters. RESULT: When the experimental group was compared with the control group, cadence decreased from 158 ± 14 to 137 ± 14 steps/min (p = 0.012) after the intervention. Velocity improved from 0.87 ± 0.06 m/s to 0.98 ± 0.08 m/s (p = 0.019) in the experimental group. Stride length also increased from 76 ± 6.67 cm to 85 ± 5.29 cm (p = 0.0114). CONCLUSION: The control group did not show any significant difference after the intervention, whereas the experimental group showed significant improvements in each gait parameter.