The Efficacy of Nutrition and Physical Therapy Interventions on Lower Extremity Pain in Children with Obesity

Abstract

Kholoud Sameh Ghoniem*, Heba Said Abdelhaliem and Mohamed Ibrahim Kamel

Background: Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity has increased by 50% globally. Child obesity is a serious public health issue that has the potential to affect a child's osteoarticular health and cause continuous chronic pain. A training program which aims at improving lower limb muscle strength and dynamic balance may be able to improve lower limb musculoskeletal symptoms i.e. pain and discomfort. With a great deal of research on neuromuscular exercises and muscle strengthening. Yet, the majority do not focus on the population of obese children. So, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of strengthening and neuromuscular training program on lower limb pain in obese children.

Subjects and methods: Thirty boys and girls aged between 8 and 11 years were enrolled in the study, selected from schools and divided into 2 groups, Control group underwent a weight reduction plan and study group underwent the same weight reduction plan in addition to neuromuscular and strength training exercise program.

Results: There was a significant difference (MD=1.20; P=0.002; P<0.05) in the mean ±SD values of the visual analogue scale (VAS) between the control group and the study group after-treatment (2.40±0.18 and 1.20±0.08, respectively) which was favorable for the study group. There was a significant difference in the mean ±SD values of all lower limb muscle groups power between control group and study group after-treatment which was favorable of study group.

Conclusion: The findings determined that a neuromuscular and strength training exercise program combined with weight reduction for obese children population can increase lower limb muscle strength and reduce pain more significantly than does weight loss alone.