Neuro

When someone experiences one of a number of neurological disorders, impairment of the nervous system through either injury or illness, early rehabilitation combined with individualized physical therapy can impact the person making improvements.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) experts indicate that (quote) “prompt, adequate nursing of nervous tissues can potentially reorganize, regenerate and exhibit new potential for those enduring the impairments.” (end quote) 

Physical therapy as a specialty is used primarily to help an individual with their movement and motor functions based on injury, illness, or a disability, preventing deterioration by maintaining active muscles and flexible joints. 

Neuro Physiotherapy centers on individuals suffering from neurological disorders, focusing on improving patient mobility and functionality after a neurological disorder strikes. 

These disorders can include stroke, a spinal cord injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and effects on the brain functionality, nerves, and spinal cord. 

These issues can lead to multiple symptoms, from “loss of coordination, imbalance, loss of movement, lack of sensation” plus brain functionality issues to include “speech, memory, perception, and cognition.” 

The results can be debilitating and restrict an individual’s quality of life. Let’s examine neuro physiotherapy more in-depth.

Why Do You Need Neuro Physiotherapy

A reputed credentialed Neurological Physiotherapist like you’ll find at Abilities Neurological Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy trains to treat neurological conditions in patients. 

These specialists have the knowledge and expertise to potentially enable patients to maximize functional movement and regain or retain independence through suggested interventions. The physiotherapist aims to improve mobility and activities of daily living using exercises and repetitive motions.

These professionals strive to rehab individuals whose movement or physical capacity to function has been hindered. Neurological disorders impair the central nervous system, leading to a communication breakdown between the nerve signals and the brain and spinal cord to the organs and muscles. 

That can create paralysis for the individual or motor deficits, spasms or tremors, a lack of sensation, and on. Go to https://yourbrain.health/neuro-physiotherapy/ for a guide on the specialty and then learn the conditions that neuro physiotherapy can be beneficial for, including the following:

1. Head trauma/Traumatic brain injury
2. Stroke
3. Spinal cord injury
4. Bell’s palsy
5. Multiple sclerosis (MS)
6. Parkinson’s disease

For the best results, neurophysiotherapy should be started as early following a diagnosis or injury as possible. The patient’s nervous system is stimulated through exercise and therapeutic activity, allowing adaptability to use muscles in unique ways in order to perform the moves. 

No two treatments are the same since each diagnosis, each person is different and will respond to treatment in their own way. Still, all patients will receive benefits to some degree in the following ways:

• Improvements in strength

Strengthening exercises are a vital component of neuro physiotherapy to attempt to develop muscular strength. These target weakened muscles affected by illness, injury, or disability. With progressing treatment, there is the potential for a better range of motion and improvements in control.

In many patients with neurological disorders, there is a constant muscle contraction. In strengthening the muscles, it’s possible to be able to manage this better.

• Endurance is greater

A patient might not be able to walk independently when arriving initially for therapy. The goal is not only to get them on that path but ensure the individual can do so on any surface and then, once that’s accomplished, be able to perform activities while walking.

With the right therapeutic strategies and training sessions, the patient may be able to progress to these levels. In neuro physiotherapy care plans, the professional uses mobility aids to assist with balance, posture and to make movement simpler. 

Part of the treatment involves working with the patient to educate them on the methodology for adequately using the mobility aids to their benefit. 

• Becoming more balanced

In order to walk with confidence, an individual needs to feel a sense of balance and steadiness. This will allow them to not only walk on their own but involve themselves in activities simultaneously. Establishing improved or good balance is critical to prevent the likelihood of falls leading to potentially more injuries.

This sort of goes hand in hand with coordination, but the approach would be somewhat different. The result of a lack of coordination can be similar to an imbalance, however, with the person falling and becoming injured. 

Overall neurological physical therapy has the potential to assist patients with improving the following:

1. Balance/posture
2. Muscular strength
3. Developing independence with activities of daily living
4. Range of motion
5. Setting objectives for precise movements, small steps at a time
6. Stretching exercises for tight muscles to relieve spasticity and contractions
7. Gross and fine motor skills
8. Retraining for standard patterns of movement
9. Fitness/stamina
10. Breathing
11. Relief of pain
12. Reducing the chance of chest infection
13. Decreasing the likelihood of stress and anxiety
14. Accomplishing maximum potential

The Neurological Physical Therapist

A qualified neurological physical therapist assesses and establishes a care plan for people suffering from a diagnosis stemming from the nervous system, spinal cord, or brain. Often, many symptoms involved can trace back to movement or functionality.

When the spinal cord or brain is damaged, the alerts usually sent between these systems and the nerves are disrupted, making movement challenging. This can be exceptionally complex with whole body involvement, or it could be a single appendage, maybe just a hand not performing in the way it once did.

A neurological physical therapist aims to prevent further loss of what was natural movement and restore as much of that normal function as is possible using combinations of treatment plans to include exercises, hands-on therapy, assistive devices, and technology.  

A priority with this therapy is exercise repetition. This can be in the home setting or with groups in an outpatient clinic. Rebuilding the connections can be possible with simple repetition, referred to as “neuroplasticity.”

Robotics is one of the innovations helping individuals with minimal capacity perform repetitive exercises they might not have been able to achieve on their own. 

There are also larger pieces of equipment and assistive devices meant to restore function and improve activities of daily living, the whole objective behind neuro physiotherapy.