The Effectiveness of 6 Months Hydrotherapy Program Based on Halliwick Concept on the Respiratory System of Down Syndrome Children

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of a hydrotherapy program on FVC, FEV, PEF, RR and SaO2 on children with Down syndrome over six months and to compare it with a conventional respiratory physiotherapy program. Eighteen children, with Down Syndrome, aged 6 - 11 years (9.53 ± 0.454), divided into two groups of nine, the intervention group (IG), that participated in the hydrotherapy program and the control group (CG) participated in the classical physiotherapy program. We calculated mean values of FVC, FEV, PEF, RR and SaO2 before and after six months intervention for both groups. There was a statistically significant improvement in all factors for both groups. However, were statistically more significant for the intervention group (IG). Based on a specific protocol of intervention in the water and at the same time with a group of children who participated in a similar program of classical respiratory physiotherapy, it was found to be statistically more important than the second group in improving respiratory function. We recommend the use of hydrotherapy as a complementary therapy that should be part of the weekly program of these children in addition to the existing treatments they attend.

Greek Translation, Content Validity, Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability of Swimming with Independent Measure (SWIM) Assessment Test for People with Disabilities Based on Halliwick Concept

Objectives: Halliwick-based hydrotherapy has become one of the most widespread approaches in the water environment for people with disabilities. The Swimming with Independent Measure (SWIM) test was developed by Peackok (1993) based on the need to create specific aquatic assessment tests for people with disabilities. The purpose of our study was its translation into Greek language and the investigation of its metric properties. Methods: A total of 40 children with cerebral palsy aged on average 7.36 years participated in the study: 20 children with GMFCS 1 - 5 and cognitive limitations, and 20 children with GMFCS 1 - 4 without cognitive limitations. Two physiotherapists with extensive experience in hydrotherapy and Halliwick philosophy participated in the test-retest and inter-rater reliability and validity assessment. Results: The test-retest and inter-rater reliability for the overall score was found to be high (ICC = 0.99). In terms of validity, a positive correlation was found between SWIM and GMFM (r = 0.59). Conclusions: The Greek translation of the SWIM test was found to be highly reliable for assessing mental adaptation and functionality in the aquatic environment for children with disabilities, so it is recommended to professionals.