Early physiotherapy in the treatment of spastic diplegia.

This study reports the effect of early physiotherapy, using Vojta's method, on children with spastic diplegia. Eight children with spastic diplegia (in spite of early treatment which was started before nine months of age) were compared with 21 children with spastic diplegia in which treatment was started between nine months and three years of age. The average age of starting to walk was eight months earlier in the group treated early, although they had more severe complications. They tended to walk steadily with a gait pattern which was quite different from the classical pattern. All of the early treated patients had confirmed organic brain damage with abnormal CT scan or microcephaly. In conclusion, Vojta's method of treatment is one system which improves the prognosis for walking if performed early.