Improving physical performance in children with congenital clubfoot

Introduction. Pre-school period is one of the most crucial periods of human life in the formation of physical health and cultural skills to ensure the improvement, strengthening and preserving the future. Materials and methods. The study involved 68 pre-school children with congenital clubfoot: control group 1 (n = 34) and main group (n = 34) and healthy children (n = 34), who are the control group 2. At the beginning of the study the average age of children was 4-5 years. Children of the main group were constantly engaged in physical rehabilitation under the developed program. Participants of the control group were massaged and had a medical gymnastics twice a year. Results. The study improved physical performance in the main group: high at 14,71%, good in 52,94%, 32,35% in average. There was no significant increase in physical performance in the control groups. In the control group (number 2) good physical performance in the beginning of the study was 32,35% and it increased to 41,18% at the end of the study. In the control group (number 1) a good physical performance was at the beginning of 26,47%, and went up to 29,41%. Minor improvement of physical performance in children of control groups may have occurred even by reducing heart rate at rest. Conclusion. Average physical performance in the main group at the end of the study was 5,76±0,28 (p<0,05), corresponding to a good level of physical performance and demonstrates the effectiveness of the use of physical rehabilitation.