Neurological physical therapy
Neurological physical therapy is a subspecialty of physiotherapy dealing with diseases and injuries of the nervous system. From birth to death, the nervous system is involved in every human movement and responses of the body to inner and outer stimuli; this particular physical therapy discipline thus treats pediatric as well as adult populations.
The nervous system has an excellent ability to adapt and reorganize following a congenital or acquired injury. The goal of the neurological physical therapist is to stimulate the normal movement and function by way of evaluating, preventing and treating the motor disfunction that arose after a disease or injury. Examples are patients with sensory and/or motor disturbances (following a stroke, traumatic brain injury, malfunctioning of the central and peripheral nerves due to inflammation, hemorrhage, ischemia, direct injury; congenital and autoimmune diseases; patients with injuries to the skeletal system, joints,muscles, ligaments, nerves as well as patients with neuromuscular diseases), infants and children with congenital and acquired developmental disturbances (Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, risky neurological symptoms, hypotension), and patients with balance problems and chronic pain.
The therapist strives to improve the patient's condition by clinical problem-solving which, however, depends on the therapist's knowledge of basic disciplines such as neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. In addition, the therapist must have thorough knowledge of both normal and pathological movement, and normal motor development. This knowledge forms the building-blocks of all treatment concepts which undergo constant evolution. The choice of which concept to apply in a certain patient, however, depends on each individual patient's responses. The best known and perfected concepts are the Bobath Concept, PNF (i.e. proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation), Vojta Therapy, Mobilization of the Nervous System and Motor Learning.
The nervous system has an excellent ability to adapt and reorganize following a congenital or acquired injury. The goal of the neurological physical therapist is to stimulate the normal movement and function by way of evaluating, preventing and treating the motor disfunction that arose after a disease or injury. Examples are patients with sensory and/or motor disturbances (following a stroke, traumatic brain injury, malfunctioning of the central and peripheral nerves due to inflammation, hemorrhage, ischemia, direct injury; congenital and autoimmune diseases; patients with injuries to the skeletal system, joints,muscles, ligaments, nerves as well as patients with neuromuscular diseases), infants and children with congenital and acquired developmental disturbances (Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, risky neurological symptoms, hypotension), and patients with balance problems and chronic pain.
The therapist strives to improve the patient's condition by clinical problem-solving which, however, depends on the therapist's knowledge of basic disciplines such as neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. In addition, the therapist must have thorough knowledge of both normal and pathological movement, and normal motor development. This knowledge forms the building-blocks of all treatment concepts which undergo constant evolution. The choice of which concept to apply in a certain patient, however, depends on each individual patient's responses. The best known and perfected concepts are the Bobath Concept, PNF (i.e. proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation), Vojta Therapy, Mobilization of the Nervous System and Motor Learning.