Effectiveness of myofascial release and therapeutic exercise on physical growth among stunted toddlers in Cilacap Regency

Stunting remains a persistent public health issue, and nutritional interventions alone often yield limited improvement without additional physical stimulation. This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining myofascial release and therapeutic exercise on the physical development of stunted toddlers in Cilacap Regency. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was applied to 60 children aged 24-35 months selected through simple random sampling. The intervention group received myofascial release and age-appropriate therapeutic exercises twice weekly for four weeks, while the control group received routine monitoring. Growth indicators—including body weight, height, and WHO Z-scores—were measured before and after the intervention. The intervention group showed significantly greater increases in weight (0.7 ± 0.3 kg vs. 0.1 ± 0.2 kg, p < 0.001) and height (1.3 ± 0.5 cm vs. 0.2 ± 0.4 cm, p < 0.001) compared with the control group. In conclusion, integrating myofascial release with therapeutic exercise effectively enhances physical growth in stunted toddlers.