Physiotherapy for children
Children's neurological physiotherapy focuses on improving motor skills, improving balance, coordination, strength and endurance as well as sensory and cognitive integration and improvement.
The neurological physiotherapy for children is dedicated to enable children who have a neurological injury such as cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, hemiparexia, etc., to achieve a degree of independence in daily life tasks. have adequate motor development or reach optimal motor development. that allows them a degree of independence in the tasks of daily living.
During the first 2 years During the first two years of life, the brain of babies has the quality of neuronal plasticity. This means that structures that may have been damaged in the Central Nervous System can be recovered. thanks to the proliferation of connections in the axons of the cerebral neurons. These neurons can "refill" or expand to those areas that have suffered trauma or cell death.
Our therapies
VOJTA Method, BOBATH concept and Therasuit Method
Vojta Method
Vojta therapy is a physical therapy method used for infants, children, adolescents and adults with central nervous system disorders and motor and postural disorders.
Further information
Vojta
It was discovered by the Czech neurologist and neuropediatrician Václav Vojta. Vojta therapy is a very effective therapy in motor dystonia problems, such as cerebellar ataxias or athetosis and pathologies with alterations in muscle tone.
Through the application of stimuli from distal and proximal areas of the body and responses are obtained at a global level in the muscle groups.
These muscles are the ones that support us against gravity and the ones that cannot be exercised by a child with a neurological injury.
The method consists of evoking the normal posture and movement patterns that are implicit in the central nervous system, activated through the two patterns of Reflex Locomotion.
Its basis lies in triggering two automatic locomotion mechanisms, also discovered by Professor Vojta: reptation and reflex turning.
These are two global models or patterns that are programmed in the Central Nervous System of people.
The therapist presses certain points on the body (stimulation zones) that cause the brain to react by giving a global motor response, in the whole body, which has a locomotion character.
That is, some limbs perform a stepping movement, while others perform a supporting movement, producing an upward and forward momentum. The therapist puts resistance to the limbs that tend to move, maintaining this posture for 1 or 2 minutes. In this way, by repeatedly performing the exercises, the central nervous system receives many times the physiological information that leaves an "imprint", fundamental to convert the reflex movement into a spontaneous, voluntary and cortical one.
Bobath Concept
The Concept is known as a form of observation, analysis, interpretation and consequent treatment of cerebral palsy, brain damage and other neurological lesions of the central nervous system with repercussions on the sensory-motor system.
Further information
The history
"...a way of thinking, observing and interpreting what the patient does.
In this way we adjust what we do through techniques, to see and feel what you need and what we can do to help you reach your goal.
We don't teach movements, we make them possible...
Bobath, 1981″ The Bobath concept, is a global treatment approach for the child and infant. It is based on the understanding of normal movement and dynamic techniques are used to restore normal movement. It is very important to have the child's participation.
Under the premise of the brain's ability to reorganize itself, the healthy parts learn and acquire the functions that were performed by the damaged regions of the brain.
The Bobath Concept
The Concept is applied by different professionals: psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, teachers, assistants...
All of them, through observation and assessment of the patient's functional disabilities, plan a treatment program that covers each and every one of their deficiencies and difficulties, in order to modify them to achieve greater functionality.
The following aspects are taken into account:
Analysis of normal motion.
Analysis of normal movement deviation.
Application of treatment techniques adapted to the patient, with the aim of relearning normal movement.
Analysis of the effect of these techniques in order to modify them as the patient evolves.
By observing and assessing the patient, we analyze the patient's alterations in terms of function, movement and tone, in order to set objectives and plan the treatment based on them.
Since nervous system disorders are a complex pathology, the patient's cognitive, perceptual and adaptive abilities must also be taken into account.
Therasuit Method
anda CONMiGO is a certified Therasuit Center (TheraSuit Center) in the center of Boadilla del Monte (Madrid).
We have more than 5 years of experience in intensive exercise programs for children with cerebral palsy and in carrying out maintenance therapies.
Further information
The history of the suit
Invented in Russia during the space age and designed to combat the negative effects (muscular atrophy, osteoporosis) suffered by astronauts (lack of gravity) during long space travel.
In the 1990s, the suit was used to treat children with muscular disorders and in 1997, it began to be used on American children
and in 2002, the TheraSuit was designed and registered with the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) in the USA.
The THERASUIT method
- The method combines an intensive, customized strengthening program for children with cerebral palsy using TheraSuit and the Universal Exercise Unit.
- Combats the effects of loss of condition and immobility
- Acknowledges that standardized therapeutic approaches are less effective
- Based on the principles of intensive therapy and strength development
- Educates the body of the disabled child as that of a non-disabled child.
- New approach whereby the physical therapy field learns from the health and fitness field
- Structured program that enhances growth and development of the individual
Objectives
- Normalize the child's muscle tone
- Increase active joint excursion
- Increase strength and endurance
- Control over newly strengthened muscle groups so that children can improve their skills
- Functional in order to gain independence
What is
The TheraSuit consists of a soft, dynamic, proprioceptive orthosis consisting of a hood, a two-piece suit, knee pads and shoe straps connected by a rubber band system.
It is an effective and safe tool that we use in combination with our intensive exercise program to accelerate the child's progress.
What the suit provides
- Improves proprioception
- Reduces pathological reflexes
- Restores correct posture and movement patterns
- Provides external stabilization and strengthens weak muscles
- Corrects body alignment
- Enables an improvement of the vestibular system
- Stimulates the brain to reeducate the central nervous system (CNS)
- Provides tactile and sensory stimulation
- Significant impact on improving language production and fluency
- Load the body with gravitational type pressures.
- Accelerates the progress of newly acquired movement and functional skills
For whom
- Children with cerebral palsy
- Stroke patients
- Brain contusions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neuromuscular disorders
Typical intensive exercise program
- 3 to 4 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 3 to 4 weeks
- Week 1: The goal is to work on reducing muscle tone, decreasing pathological movement patterns, increasing correct active movement patterns and overall strength development.
- Second week: We focus on strengthening the specific muscle groups responsible for movement.
- Third week: use the gain in strength and endurance to improve the child's level of functionality (sitting, crawling, walking).
Effects
- Reduces pathological movement patterns
- Increases strength and endurance
- Increases muscle control and coordination
- Improves functional activities (sitting, crawling, walking, etc.)
ABOUT THE OWNERS OF THERASUIT LLC- Richard and Izabela Koscielny
- Parents of two daughters, Kaya, 17, who suffers from cerebral palsy, and Maya, 8.
- Both have a master's degree in physiotherapy from the Polish Academy of Physical Education.
- They have 17 years of experience with special needs children and are both certified physical educators.
- Izabela is a certified Yoga teacher for disabled children.
- Richard is a physical education teacher
Richard and Izabela, founded the company Therasuit in 2002. They are in charge of distributing their TheraSuit, the Universal Exercise Unit and providing first-person training to teams and centers like ours for children with special needs.
Infant colic and respiratory physiotherapy
Infant colic
In the first months of life, our little ones are often restless because of gas or because they have not had a bowel movement for days. They find their abdomen harder and complain when touching that area and it usually calms down a little depending on the posture.
The infant massage will help them to relax, expel and do their needs, improving their well-being. We will try to do these massages before feeding time... because when they want to eat... there is no time to wait...
The most common reason for the appearance of infant colic are usually:
- An immaturity of the digestive system and neurological development (which is logical in infants).
- Because the child is overloaded and cries and cries non-stop at given times, which usually coincide with the evening-night. This means that the more they cry, the more they become gassy and in the end we return to a hard abdomen and their discomfort.
- Or, food intolerances or allergies
- The first thing to do would be to see the pediatrician to rule it out and once it is confirmed that the baby is healthy and evolving well, is when we start talking about a colicky baby.
At Fundación anda CONMiGO, we can help you and teach you how to perform these massages to the little ones.
Respiratory physiotherapy
Respiratory physiotherapy is a fundamental tool to prevent, cure or stabilize the alterations that affect the respiratory system. It contributes greatly to improving the quality of life of children and their families.
It is indicated for children, from the earliest ages (babies a few days old) to adolescents, with a tendency to suffer from respiratory problems.
These problems may or may not be associated with neurological pathology, chromosomal syndromes (cystic fibrosis, among others) and above all, neuromuscular diseases, where the affectation of mechanical ventilation is very important.
Although the most common are small children who are affected by the usual lung problems of the winter months and in early childhood such as bronchiolitis, upper respiratory catarrh, pneumonia, etc..
In anda CONMiGO we are specialists in children's physiotherapy and everything related to stimulation and early care.
Can we help you?
At anda CONMiGO we are known for being EXPERTS in EARLY CARE AND MATURE DELAY. Our therapists are great professionals, specialised, who use play as a way of learning.