Effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in pediatric patients with cerebral palsy

Lozano-Díaz A.V.; Rosales-Ricardo Y. · Andes Pediatrica (2026) · DOI: 10.32641/andespediatr.v97i4.5934

Resumen

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is a series of exercises with a neurophysiological basis. Objective: To analyze the effects of PNF on motor function in children with cerebral palsy. Methodology: A systematic review of the literature was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The search was conducted in the Web of Science (Core Collection), Scopus, and MEDLINE via PubMed databases, using MeSH terms and keywords related to PNF, cerebral palsy, and motor function, combined using the Boolean operators AND and OR. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies in pediatric populations with cerebral palsy were included. Results: 26 studies were included, mainly randomized controlled trials (65.38%). The largest proportion of research was conducted in India (42.31%), followed by Pakistan (23.08%) and Austria (11.54%). 88.46% of the studies reported positive effects of PNF on motor function. Of these, 39.13% reported improvements in gait-related domains, such as balance and trunk control; 34.78% reported advances in functional independence and postural patterns; 13.04% showed benefits in pelvic alignment; and 8.70% described improvements in manual skills. Conclusions: PNF may be associated with improvements in specific domains of motor function in children with cerebral palsy, mainly through neuromusculoskeletal and postural control changes. However, the results are heterogeneous and do not support a direct and uniform improvement in gait.

Instituciones: Universidad Tecnológica del Perú