Simple stretches may help kids with cerebral palsy move better
NCT ID NCT04904094
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested a 6-week home stretching program for 30 children aged 4-11 with spastic cerebral palsy. The program included a 2-week casting period followed by daily stretches of the calf and hamstring muscles. Researchers measured changes in muscle length, joint flexibility, stiffness, and strength to see if the program could improve movement and function.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2020
- Finished
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Apr 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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4 to 11 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed diagnosis of spastic cerebral palsy * Aged 4-12 years * GMFCS levels I-III (GMFCS = Gross Motor Function Classification Score, expressing the overall functional level of impairment) * Sufficient cooperation to comprehend and complete the test procedure * Indication for casting of the lower limb Exclusion Criteria: * Non-ambulatory * Botulinum toxin A injections six months prior to enrollment * Lower limb surgery two years prior to enrollment * Selective dorsal rhizotomy as treatment history * Presence of ataxia or dystonia * Cognitive problems that impede measurements * Severe co-morbidities (severe epilepsy, non-correctable visual impairment, autism spectrum disorders, mental problems that prevent comprehensiveness of the tasks)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UZ Leuven
Leuven, 3000, Belgium
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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