Effectiveness of Standing Frame on Constipation in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Children with Cerebral Palsy and quadriplegia or severe diplegia suffer from highly reduced mobility and consequent constipation. Clinicians frequently recommend standing-frames to exercise the support reaction in this population, sharing the opinion that the upright position may facilitate intestinal transit, although no evidence supports this assumption. The investigators conducted this single-subject research to determine the effects of the standing-frame on the frequency of evacuation in chronically constipated children with CP and quadriplegia. Moreover, the investigators studied its effects on the frequency of induction of evacuation, the characteristics of the stool and the pain suffered by the child due to constipation and/or evacuation.