Physical therapy, varied in its variations, has saved more than a dozen human lives. You can exercise in a wide variety of conditions: at home, in a hospital or outdoors. The main thing is that the program is balanced and aimed at eliminating the problems that the patient presented with. And that is why it is always developed by a doctor! Otherwise, excessive activity may be disastrous for the patient.
At its core, physical therapy is a set of activities aimed at treating, preventing or rehabilitating patients with a variety of diseases. Exercise therapy is based on physical activity, the nature of which directly depends on the patient’s disease.
The standard complex consists of:
Thanks to this approach, it is possible to increase the mobility of joints, develop limbs after injuries and improve metabolic processes in the body. At the same time, patients must understand that physical therapy is not a panacea, but hard work.
You need to exercise every day, even if the exercises bring discomfort. Of course, if exercise makes it worse, patients are strongly advised to consult a doctor.
The program may have to be completely replaced or exercises selectively changed in it. In this matter, decoding is very important - when the patient understands how what they are doing is deciphered, then he begins to work for the result.
Initially, all exercises are performed under the guidance of a specialist who teaches the patient all the intricacies of the process. Once everything is done correctly, classes can be transferred home. Provided that they do not require special equipment.
Today there are many “specialists” who promise their patients a quick recovery. However, this does not mean that all promises can be blindly trusted.
The exercise therapy instructor is the same doctor, whose prescriptions also determine the speed of the patient’s recovery.
A win-win option is to seek help from a specialized medical institution, where a strict selection of candidates takes place. However, as often happens, hospitals provide only a referral. Patients have to find the appropriate office on their own.
And this must be done based on the following criteria:
Physical education for a patient is not just pleasure, but a real necessity, hope for get well soon. Mistakes are absolutely not allowed here, because excessive activity can have the opposite effect. In this case, the patient will have to undergo a long course of rehabilitation, the purpose of which will be to get rid of not only the consequences of the underlying disease, but also the complications of failed physical therapy.
Equipping a physical therapy room is the direct task of the person who organizes the process, but not the patient at all. Meanwhile, the latter simply has to navigate what is offered to him. An activity such as exercise therapy is offered almost everywhere today. The only question is quality. Therefore, you need to understand the basic concepts, at least in order to understand which techniques are worth using and which ones are better to avoid.
An ideal office looks like this:
Even if it seems that all the exercises are quite predictable, patients are strictly not recommended to perform them without the presence of a doctor.
Approximately the first 10 lessons, especially for children, should be carried out together with an instructor. And only then, when a certain skill has been acquired and the first successes appear, it will be possible to talk about independent studies.
In modern medicine, there are many variations on the ideal exercise options for physical therapy.
Meanwhile, only a specialist can choose the right one, based on the following data:
Typically, patients do the prescribed exercises daily for several months. You should not expect quick results, because in order for even minor improvements to occur, patients will have to work long and hard. However, the end result is worth it.
In order to become an exercise therapy instructor, potential applicants only need to attend thematic courses. The whole process takes no more than 3 months, and at the end each student receives a diploma, according to which they can find a job.
However, in reality, the ideal physical therapy doctor is:
Anyone who has the desire to work can become a physical therapy instructor. Drawing up effective programs, the ability to decipher doctor's orders and strict job descriptions - that's all that you will have to face in the process of work. It is important not only to understand the specifics of the classes, but also the mood of each patient. After all, if the patient is not in the mood for work, then the exercises will not bring any results.
Unfortunately, even young children are not immune from problems with the spine and poor posture, because modern children spend more and more time with their parents at home watching TV or with a phone and tablet in their hands. And such a lifestyle will certainly affect the condition of the child’s musculoskeletal system. But if it is problematic for adults to correct the curvature of the spine, then in children this is all possible with the help of exercise therapy. This is physical therapy that compensates for the lack of physical activity. We will look at what features it has in children and what benefits it brings in our article.
This is a set of exercises that is more reminiscent of yoga because it is performed smoothly and slowly. The basis of physical therapy is the use of the main function of our body - movement. The whole complex consists of selected exercises combined with proper breathing.
Exercise therapy was identified as a separate branch of medicine only in the 20th century, but Plato also noted that movement is the same healing power as medicine. Therapeutic exercise is not only exercises, but also water procedures, regular walking, and outdoor games.
For the body to develop normally, it is important not only proper nutrition, but also constant physical activity. Adults often forget about this when they start scolding their kids for being too active. Exercise therapy for children is not just physical therapy, it also plays an educational role:
What benefits does physical therapy give to a child? This is a question parents often ask, believing that only serious sports can bring benefits. But this is far from true. Physical therapy exercises:
Exercise therapy is a complex that can prevent posture problems. Therapeutic exercise develops endurance, strength, and improves coordination of movements.
Also thanks to exercise therapy:
Children especially need exercise therapy for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. But preliminary consultation with a specialist is necessary to select an effective complex.
Some believe that physical therapy is an ordinary gymnastics complex, but experts say that any active recreation can be classified as exercise therapy. Often classes with children take place in game form so that the kids find it interesting.
All exercises included in the complex can be divided into:
All exercises can also be divided into groups:
The nature of the exercises also differs; they are:
Taking into account what abnormalities the child has in the musculoskeletal system, the specialist selects a set of exercises.
Despite the enormous benefits of therapeutic exercises, it is not indicated for all children; contraindications include:
Even in the absence of contraindications, if a child gets sick with a common cold, then it is worth interrupting exercise therapy for several days and resuming after recovery.
Since classes are conducted with children, the instructor must prepare thoroughly. It is important to choose as many exercises as possible in a playful way. But you still need to consider the following points:
Therapeutic gymnastics contributes not only to the correct formation of posture in a child, strengthening the body, but also to the normalization of the cardiovascular system.
This is a complex that must be performed in compliance with certain rules that can make classes more effective:
Considering that our children now spend much more time in front of computer monitors than in active movement, it is not surprising that many are already primary school have incorrect posture. If everything is still not so advanced, then there is every chance of returning the child’s straight back.
For this it is important to choose correct exercises, and only an orthopedist who needs to be visited can do this competently. In serious cases, not only gymnastics may be required, but also the use of a special corset.
Depending on the type of spinal curvature, exercises are selected:
Exercise therapy for the shoulder and lumbar regions is not important; it requires that the exercises be performed regularly. If you practice only a couple of times a week, there will be no effect.
It has already been noted that for children it is necessary to include many playful moments in the complex, but we can highlight the main exercises:
Exercises can be done using various gymnastic equipment, for example, jump ropes, balls, hoops.
After warming up, you can begin to perform the following exercises:
After finishing the complex, you must walk around and do breathing exercises. During classes, the trainer must monitor the correct execution of the exercises, breathing and the position of the child’s back.
Poor posture is not a death sentence. If parents pay attention to this in a timely manner, the special complex will not only quickly return a straight back to the child, but will also strengthen the entire body.
Healing Fitness
Healing Fitness(exercise therapy) is a method of treatment consisting in the application of physical exercises and natural factors of nature to a sick person for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. This method is based on the use of the main biological function of the body - movement. A method of strictly dosed exercises accompanied by proper breathing.
The term therapeutic physical culture (or exercise therapy) refers to a variety of concepts. This includes breathing exercises after a major operation, learning to walk after an injury, and developing movements in a joint after removing a plaster cast. This is the name of an office in a clinic, a department at the Institute of Physical Education, and a department at a medical institute. The term “physical therapy” is used in a variety of aspects, denoting a method of treatment, a medical or pedagogical specialty, a section of medicine or physical education, and the structure of healthcare.
The term “physical therapy” primarily refers to the branch of medicine that studies the treatment and prevention of diseases using physical education methods (usually in combination with physiotherapeutic procedures and massage).
On the other hand, therapeutic physical culture is a section of physical culture that considers physical exercises to restore the health of a sick person and his ability to work.
At the same time, physical therapy is an independent scientific discipline, united according to the existing state standard into a single scientific specialty: “therapeutic physical culture and sports medicine with courses of balneology and physiotherapy,” having a scientific specialty code of 14.00.51. This is medical science. That is, a specialist in the field of physical therapy can be a doctor with a diploma from the medical or pediatric faculty of a medical institute. Mechanotherapy, occupational therapy and therapeutic massage are part of exercise therapy. A means of exercise therapy can be any physical activity: swimming, walking, bath procedures, and even games, if they are used for medicinal purposes.
The way of life and worldview of the Russian people have created a unique system of physical culture, optimal for a given anthropogenic type and climatic conditions. Russian physical culture (sports games and competitions, such as gorodki, chizh, lapta), Russian wrestling, fist and stick fights, archery, running, throwing logs or spears) was, like other peoples, a means of maintaining and improving physical preparation for upcoming campaigns and battles. In ancient Russian culture, physical health was considered the basis of external beauty.
The famous traveler, Arab merchant Ibn Fadlan wrote about his observations during the trip (-):
I saw the Rus - when they came with their goods and settled on the Volga. I have not seen people more perfect in physique - as if they were palm trees.
The ancient Slavs also had a unique form of hygiene and therapeutic physical culture that has existed since the beginning of our era - a bath ritual. The bathhouse was used to treat and restore strength after difficult hikes and illnesses. The Englishman William Tooke, a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, wrote in the city that the Russian bath prevents the development of many diseases, and believed that the low incidence of illness, good physical and mental health, as well as the long life expectancy of Russian people are explained precisely by the positive influence Russian bath.
Science of medicinal use physical exercises began to develop in Russia from the second half of the 18th century after the creation of Moscow University in 1755 by Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, which included the Faculty of Medicine. Now it is the Moscow Medical Academy. The first professors of medicine at Moscow University were active supporters of physical exercise and natural factors for the treatment and prevention of diseases.
Try not to have a single day without bodily movement... A body without movement is like stagnant water that molds, spoils, and rots.
He instructed:
After a night's sleep, do not lie down, but rather resort to washing and physical movements, because the morning is the best time for all kinds of work, exploits and sciences.
In general, it’s quite funny to see to what extent a person can sometimes get carried away by some idée fixe. So, for example, the venerable doctor says that from the age of four both boys and girls should do gymnastics, and that father, mother, teacher and tutor should do the movements themselves as an example...
Elderly man doing stretching exercises in the gym
The learned author is so passionate about his science that he does not even spare gray-haired old age. The author attacks poor old women over sixty years of age (it seems that they could be spared) and advises them to shift in one place..., twirl their legs..., tilt their torso forward and backward... and squat. .
This opinion about the benefits of gymnastics can often be heard in our time. At the same time, over the past 100 years, physical therapy, having gone through a difficult path that can be divided into several stages, has become an independent medical and scientific discipline.
Soviet scientists N.A. Semashko, V.V. Gorinevsky, Valentin Nikolaevich Moshkov, V.V. Gorinevskaya, Dreving, A.F. Kaptelin, V.I. Dikul and many others made a great contribution to the creation of physical therapy.
During the Great Patriotic War, physical therapy developed rapidly. Doctors were faced with the problem of rapid recovery of fighters after injuries and wounds, and exercise therapy acquired special meaning as one of the powerful factors in restoring the work and combat effectiveness of the wounded and sick. The knowledge and practical experience acquired in those years have not lost their significance to this day. Therapeutic physical culture was especially widely used for injuries of the musculoskeletal system, chest,
Exercise therapy – therapeutic physical culture, i.e. teaching a person to benefit himself through physical exercise and make himself healthier.
Thus, for most painful conditions, you can help yourself with a certain set of exercises. It is difficult to find an area of medicine where there is no exercise therapy.
Most often, exercise therapy is used:
Depends on the purpose of the exercise and the set of exercises used:
Includes:
Note! Passive gymnastics is carried out in patients with impaired consciousness, in severely weakened patients when they cannot perform movements independently. These exercises are aimed at preventing bedsores and the development of contractures.
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There are not many of them, some of them can be classified as relative contraindications. You can always find a replacement set of exercises:
Note! In any case, the decision on the need to carry out the type of set of exercises, the time for performing these exercises, is made by the attending physician and the responsible physician for physical therapy on an individual basis, with subsequent correction of the set of exercises.
In the modern rhythm, moderate physical activity fades into the background, the need for walking is less and less. Humanity is beginning to lead a “sedentary lifestyle” while working at the computer; for traveling even short distances there is a car.
Against the background of physical inactivity, there is an increase in emotional stress and anxiety. The phrase “Movement is life” loses its relevance.
A decrease in physical activity leads to gradual hypotrophy of the entire muscular system of the body; people are increasingly beginning to suffer from manifestations of osteochondrosis, in the form of chronic back pain at all levels (cervical, thoracic, lumbosacral).
Against this background, general weakness appears, mood changes for the worse, and a person cannot resist stress. Lost interest in life. The question arises what to do. This is where exercise therapy comes to the rescue.
Relaxation exercises, increasing lung capacity, and relieving emotional stress help to counteract this and maintain your health. It is better to conduct group classes or in the form of games that turn into competitions, which will contribute to pleasant live communication.
Therapeutic exercise is one of the leading methods of treatment and prevention of a large number of diseases. You can start using it from infancy and fairly old age. This technique can be used either independently or in combination with massage and physiotherapeutic procedures. Can be designed for individual or group use.
Exercise therapy products. General requirements for the method of applying physical exercises
The main means in therapeutic physical culture are:
Natural factors (sun, air, water);
Massotherapy;
Motor mode.
In addition, additional means are used: occupational therapy and mechanotherapy.
Under occupational therapy refers to the restoration of impaired functions with the help of selectively selected labor processes.
Mechanotherapy- this is the restoration of lost functions using special devices. It is used mainly to prevent and develop contractures (stiffness in the joints).
In sports practice, after injuries to the musculoskeletal system, mechanotherapy can be used to increase the range of motion in the joints; Exercises on various exercise machines are effective for strengthening muscles.
Therapeutic massage (classical, acupressure, segmental reflex, hardware, hydromassage) is used in combination with physical exercises in the process of both treatment and rehabilitation.
Classification and characteristics of physical exercises used in exercise therapy
Physical exercises used for therapeutic purposes are divided into gymnastic, ideomotor, applied sports, exercises in sending impulses to muscle contraction, dosed games, etc.
Gymnastic exercises. They are specially selected combinations of natural movements for humans, divided into elements. By using gymnastic exercises, selectively influencing individual muscle groups or joints, you can improve overall coordination of movements, restore and develop physical qualities such as strength, speed of movement and agility.
Gymnastic exercises are classified according to several main characteristics: anatomical; based on activity; the principle of using gymnastic apparatus and equipment; by type and nature of execution.
Anatomically, exercises for the muscles of the neck, torso, shoulder girdle, upper limbs, abdominals, pelvic floor, lower limbs.
Based on activity - active (performed by the patient himself), passive (performed by the exercise therapy instructor with the patient’s volitional effort), active-passive exercises (performed by the patient himself with the help of the exercise therapy instructor).
According to the principle of using gymnastic apparatus and apparatus - exercises without the use of apparatus and apparatus; exercises with objects (gymnastic stick, rubber, tennis or volleyball ball, medicine ball, clubs, dumbbells, expanders, jump rope, etc.); exercises on apparatus (gymnastic wall, inclined plane, gymnastic bench, rings, mechanotherapeutic equipment, uneven bars, crossbar, balance beam); exercises on simulators, etc.
By type and nature of performance - serial and drill, preparatory (introductory), corrective, for coordination of movements and in balance, in resistance, breathing, hanging, stops, jumps and jumps, rhythmoplastic exercises, etc.
Ordinal and drill exercises. They organize and discipline patients, developing in them the necessary motor skills (forming, changing lanes, walking, turning in place, other exercises).
Preparatory (introductory) exercises. Prepare the body for the upcoming load.
Corrective exercises. Reduce postural defects and correct deformities of individual parts of the body. Often combined with passive correction (traction on an inclined plane, wearing a corset, massage). These include any movements performed from a certain starting position, which determines a strictly local impact. A combination of strength tension and stretching exercises is used. For example, with severe thoracic kyphosis (stooping), physical exercises aimed at strengthening the back muscles, stretching and relaxing the pectoral muscles, as well as the muscles of the legs and feet, have a corrective effect.
Exercises for coordination and balance. They are used to train the vestibular apparatus (for hypertension, neurological and other diseases). Performed in the following starting positions: basic stance, standing on a narrow area of support, standing on one leg, on toes, with eyes open and closed; with and without objects. Coordination exercises also include exercises that develop everyday skills lost as a result of a particular disease: fastening buttons, lacing shoes, lighting matches, opening a lock with a key, etc. Modeling, assembling children's pyramids, making mosaic patterns, etc. are also widely used. . P.
Resistance exercises. They are used during the recovery training period of exercise therapy. Helps strengthen muscles and increase their elasticity; have a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, metabolism.
Breathing exercises(static, dynamic, drainage). Used in all forms of exercise therapy. They have a beneficial effect on the function of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, stimulate metabolic and digestive processes. Their calming effect is used in case of disturbances in the nervous regulation of various body functions, for faster recovery in case of fatigue, etc.
Static breathing exercises are performed in various starting positions (without movements of the legs, arms and torso); dynamic breathing exercises are performed in combination with movements of the limbs and torso. Drainage exercises include breathing exercises specifically aimed at draining exudate from the bronchi; they are used for various respiratory diseases. It is necessary to distinguish between breathing drainage exercises and positional drainage (specially specified positional starting positions, also aimed at the outflow of exudate along respiratory tract, - according to the “gutter” principle).
Hanging, standing, jumping, jumping. Types of gymnastic exercises that are included in therapeutic physical education classes during the recovery period. They are performed strictly in doses, under the supervision of a physical therapy instructor.
Rhythmoplastic exercises. They are used at the sanatorium and outpatient stages of rehabilitation - for the final restoration of the function of the musculoskeletal system, as well as in the treatment of neuroses, diseases of the cardiovascular and other systems; are performed with musical accompaniment, with a given rhythm and tonality (depending on the functional state of the patient and the type of higher nervous activity).
Muscle stretching exercises(stretching). Used to increase the elasticity of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus and relax muscles. They also help restore muscle performance after physical activity.
Exercises in water (hydrokinesiotherapy). They are increasingly used in exercise therapy. Warm water in a pool or bath helps relax muscles, soften soft tissues, increase their elasticity, and reduce spasticity. In addition, water reduces the weight of the body and its individual parts, making exercise easier. Physical exercises in water and swimming are indicated for injuries of the musculoskeletal system, osteochondrosis and spondylosis, postural disorders and scoliosis, for paralysis and paresis and other suffering.
Ideomotor exercises also used in exercise therapy (especially at the hospital stage). Performed mentally, they not only cause weak muscle contraction, but also improve their functional state and have a trophic effect. These exercises are used for paralysis and paresis, for prolonged immobilization, when the patient cannot actively perform the exercises.
Isometric (static) exercises. The patient is asked to contract and relax the muscles of the immobilized joint while mentally imagining the movement being performed. These exercises are used when immobilizing the limbs to prevent muscle atrophy, improve blood circulation and metabolism in them (for example, when applying a plaster cast to the hip and knee joint, the patient actively contracts the quadriceps femoris muscle without making movements in the knee joint, etc.
Exercises on simulators are increasingly used in exercise therapy for the rehabilitation of sick and disabled people. The use of exercise machines allows you to accurately dose the load and develop the necessary physical qualities: endurance, muscle strength, etc. For training of cardio-vascular system used: exercise bikes (foot and hand), rowing machines, treadmills (“treadmill”), ski simulator, etc. To develop the strength of various muscle groups, there are a variety of exercise machines: block, Kettler, David, etc. New generation exercise machines have been developed in our country Professor V.K. Zaitseva.
Sports and applied exercises. Of this group of exercises, dosed walking, running, and jumping are most often used in exercise therapy; throwing and climbing; balance exercises; lifting and carrying heavy objects; dosed rowing, skiing, skating, cycling, therapeutic swimming.
The use of applied sports exercises in exercise therapy contributes to the final restoration of the damaged organ and the body as a whole; instills in patients a conscious attitude towards exercise therapy and self-confidence.
Dosed walking. Strengthens the muscles not only of the lower extremities, but also of the entire body due to the rhythmic alternation of their tension and relaxation. As a result, blood and lymph circulation, breathing, metabolism are improved, and there is a general strengthening effect on the body.
Dosed running. Evenly develops the muscles of the body, trains the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves metabolism and respiratory function. In therapeutic gymnastics classes, running is used for patients who are sufficiently trained for it with an individual dosage (with careful medical and pedagogical supervision).
Dosed jumps. Refers to short-term intense exercises used during the recovery period with individual dosage (with pulse control).
Throwing exercises. They help restore coordination of movements, improve joint mobility, develop muscle strength in the limbs and torso, and increase the speed of motor reactions. In therapeutic gymnastics classes, medicine balls, discs, balls with a loop, and grenades are used.
Climbing on a gymnastic wall and rope. Helps increase mobility in joints, develop strength in the muscles of the torso and limbs, and coordinate movements.
Balance exercises. They are used for damage to the vestibular apparatus, amputation of the lower limb, diseases and damage to the nervous system.
Metered rowing. In exercise therapy it is used for the purpose of general training of the body, developing rhythmic movements that promote deepening of breathing, development and strengthening of the muscles of the upper limbs and torso, and mobility of the spine. An increase in intra-abdominal pressure during rowing has a positive effect on the digestion process and tissue metabolism. The use of rowing in conditions of clean, ionized air, saturated with water vapor, has a healing effect on the body.
Rowing lessons are prescribed in dosage form, with short pauses for rest and deep breathing indicated (with medical and pedagogical supervision).
Dosed skiing. Activates the work of the muscles of the whole body, improves metabolism, the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, trains the vestibular apparatus, increases muscle tone, improves mood, and helps normalize the state of the nervous system.
Dosed skating. Trains the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems, improves metabolism, develops coordination of movements, strengthens the vestibular apparatus. Prescribed during the recovery period to well-trained individuals who know how to skate (with medical and pedagogical supervision).
Dosed therapeutic swimming. Increases heat transfer, improves metabolism, blood circulation and breathing, strengthens the muscles of the whole body, nervous system, hardens the body.
Dosed cycling. It is used for general health purposes, to strengthen muscles and develop movements in the joints of the lower extremities; trains the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, vestibular apparatus.
Exercises to send impulses to muscle contraction(to perform movements) are used for paralysis and paresis, when active movements are absent or sharply weakened. It is recommended to combine sending impulses with passive movements - this helps improve conduction along the centripetal and centrifugal nerves.
Dosed games (on the spot, sedentary, active and sports) used in exercise therapy to instill in the patient determination, perseverance, intelligence, dexterity, courage, and discipline; have a positive effect on the activity of all organs and systems. Games are included in activities during the recovery phase. All types of games are carried out under medical and pedagogical supervision.