Wiihabilitation

Wiihabilitation

The emerging potential for enhancing rehabilitative care delivery with the use of various types of technology is one of the most happening things in Rehabilitation therapy.

One exciting tool is the use of video game systems to address a number of deficit areas, including, but not limited to: balance disorders, cognitive impairments, motor planning deficits, and activity tolerance limitations..

The Nintendo Wii game system is one the examples of technology integration with Rehabilitation. Wii gets Patients moving, and it is something that is interacting with them; they don’t realize they are doing therapy Various Wii activities such as Bowling, Baseball, Golf, tennis, Boxing help enhance different deficit areas for different rehabilitation fields.

1.Physical therapy benefits from Wii including but not limited to ROM or Strength Deficit , Activity Tolerance Impairment , Motor Planning, Motor Control, or Coordination Deficit, Balance Disorder. Some rehabilitation specialists use Wii® games to mimic and reinforce many of the movements used in traditional rehabilitation.

2.Occupational Therapy benefits from Wii are listed as follows- Motor Planning, Coordination Deficit, Visual-Perceptual Motor Deficit, and Cognitive Deficit

3.Speech Therapy benefits from Wii are as follows-Cognitive Communication Deficits (Attention/Sequencing/Immediate and STM, problem solving, abstract reasoning Deficits in receptive/expressive language, intelligibility, fluency, voice, auditory processing

Using Wii with kids is useful as kids don't see using the Wii as therapy. Since they have a shorter attention span, rehabilitation with kids has to incorporate play into therapy. If it’s not fun to them and they don’t know why they are doing it, they won’t do it. With the Wii they can see how good they do and it gets them excited.

The Wii Fit bandwagon rolls on...

Common exercising errors or blunders...(please avoid them)

Exercise is a lifelong program that must be adhered to. The first step is to start an exercise program and frame a workout schedule with the help of trainer. However one must understand there are faulty exercise tactics that one should stay away from.
Exercise, if not done in a proper way can cause more harm than benefit. We tend to make some mistakes while exercising or even overdo them sometimes. One must stop and consult the doctor if any kind of discomfort is experienced. Some of the errors that we tend to make while exercising are:
Not stretching enough. It is always a good idea to stretch for a few minutes prior to exercise concentrating on the muscles that will be used during the fitness activity. Most importantly, spending time stretching after a workout for about 8-10 minutes, while your muscles are still warm and pliable, will reap major benefits. Muscles that are flexible are far less likely to be injured than tight ones.
Not warming up prior to exercise. Your entire body needs to be gradually warmed up to prepare it for the added demands of exercises. During warm-up your body diverts blood to your extremities to deliver oxygen efficiently to the working muscles. Your heart rate gradually elevates so that it can meet your increased need for oxygen, and your muscles gradually get prepared. So, start out slowly for the first few minutes, your workout will be much more effective.
Not cooling down after any type of workout. Just as your body needs a warm-up it also needs a cool-down. Take some time to gradually let your heart rate lower. Stopping exercises abruptly can cause a number of problems such as blood pooling in your lower extremities or making you feel light-headed.
Lifting too much weight. This is one of the ways to a painful injury. Too much weight will contribute to poor form when lifting and create injury to other areas of the body in addition to the muscle you are targeting. How much resistance that you can apply significantly depends on a number of factors like leverage, muscular efficiency, movements in reps, exercise routine and time duration between various exercises. Know your limits.
Sudden movements while lifting weights. Lifting too much weight can contribute to jerks. The best way to strength train a muscle is by using slow and controlled movement.
Avoid moving quickly. Very quickly accelerating and decelerating body movements often result in injuries. Moreover it doesn't sound worthwhile, as one is constantly loading and unloading muscle groups creating tension in body. Avoid moving quickly to activate fast twitch fibers. It is proven that muscle fibers react to intensity and tension. When intensity is high, twitch fibers are quickly activated. This in long run proves to be harmful.
Exercising too intensely. If you are looking for effective weight loss, longer periods of moderately intense workouts are most effective. Short periods of high intensity training are fine when integrated into a circuit training workout or when used for athletic training. But for the overall fitness, too much intensity will only lead to soreness and burnout.
Inconsistency in exercising. You have one great training week followed by one lousy training week. Or, you exercise regularly for several weeks, then something derails your plan. The ability to remain consistent over the long haul will make the difference between reaching your fitness/weight loss goals, or not.
Working out without a plan. It is very important to set your goal from the very beginning and with the help of your trainer create an exercise plan and stick to it. Training in clueless, readily improvising wont lead you anywhere .As you need direction and purpose in life, same is needed in exercise.
Limiting the range of motion. Unless you are in physical therapy and recovering from an injury, then doing as large a range of motion as is comfortable is what needs to be done. Doing leg presses with gigantic weights but where the weight only moves a few inches is not impressive. Moving rapidly with squats to at best a half-squat position also with a huge weight is also not impressive. It's really quite meaningless and a good way to destroy a lower back.
Grimacing. Frowning, screaming and grunting while doing exercise to make the reps is faulty. This reflects that you are not correctly targeting the muscle group and are relying on other muscle groups and building up body momentum to move the weight.
Not drinking enough water. A key to successful workouts is keeping well hydrated before, during and after exercise. Best drink for exercisers is water. For exercise lasting under 45 minutes, water is your best choice.
Water is easily absorbed
Water is the best choice to drink before moderate length exercise
Water is readily available and less expensive than sport drinks
Consuming energy supplements and drinks during moderate workouts. Unless you are exercising for more than 2 hours a day, energy supplements and drinks are not necessary. Unfortunately, high-energy generally means high-calorie when it comes from these products. Sticking to a healthy, well balanced eating plan and drinking plenty of water should meet most of your needs.

Use of traction in physical therapy treatment for spine problems

In this blog i would like to throw some light on traction used as a method of treatment in Physical therapy for spine problems(Cervical & Lumbar)

Cervical & Lumbar Traction-

Traction is a stretching force applied in a longitudinal direction of the spine,
A Physiotherapist may apply it manually but the therapist can hold it only for a minute or so. Therefore comes the need of a mechanical apparatus.
Traction may be-
Continuous
Intermittent.

Indication:
Continuous hold is helpful for:
Tight soft tissues- not muscle spasm.
Nerve root compression.

Intermittent force is helpful for:
Muscle spasm
To mobilize degenerative changes.

Effects:
Effects are relief of pain, or pins & needles sensation, burning sensation, & increased mobility.
These effects are achieved due to following changes.
Separation of vertebral bodies enables fluid flow & therefore improved nutrition to the intervertebral discs.
Stretching of soft tissues allows increased movement, which is retained by exercises.
Stretching of tissues around the nerve root in the intervertebral canal enables free circulatory flow. This improves nutrition to the nerves. This explains why root pain remains diminished after traction is removed.

Traction if applied in proper way & by a professional physiotherapist can do wonders for the patient but if proper variables are not taken into consideration in the application of traction it may do more of harm. So the variables to be taken into consideration by the physiotherapist are as follows:
Position of the spine- Lower the level of cervical spine to be targeted, the more the neck should be placed in flexion. Also the lower the lumbar spine level, the more the spine is flattened by flexing the knees. This is a very important variable to be considered before starting traction so that proper effects are delivered.
Force applied- care should be taken not to apply more weight then required. For nerve root compression in lumbar area it shouldn’t be more then 50% of the body weight& for cervical region it should be 1/7 of the body weight.
Time- time varies according to the condition treated.
Continuous or Intermittent- Continuous is generally best for nerve root pain, paraesthesia. Intermittent mode is useful for tissue tightness & degenerative joint changes
Postural training & exercise program by a professional physiotherapist are essential components of pain management followed by traction.

Self Stretches

Today i will be sharing some information about strectches & self stretches particularly.

In my following posts i will share information on individual muscle self stretches. Hope the information is helpful to all.

About Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises are thought to give you more freedom of movement to do the things you need to do and the things you like to do. Stretching exercises alone will not improve your endurance or strength.

Why do people need stretches?

A sedentary worklife? Participating in sports? Going to the gym? More time spent in front of a computer? Suffering from some muscle pains? An aging population? No matter what kind of shape you're in or what kind of activity you do, stretching relieves stress and gets you ready for action.

How Much, How Often?
Stretch after you do your regularly scheduled strength and endurance exercises.
If you can't do endurance or strength exercises for some reason, and stretching exercises are the only kind you are able to do, do them at least 3 times a week, for at least 20 minutes each session. Note that stretching exercises, by themselves, don't improve endurance or strength.
Do each stretching exercise 3 to 5 times at each session.
Slowly stretch into the desired position, as far as possible without pain, and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat, trying to stretch farther.

Progressing
You can progress in your stretching exercises; the way to know how to limit yourself is that stretching should never hurt. It may feel slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. Push yourself to stretch farther, but not so far that it hurts.

For purpose of convinience we shall divide self stretches in the following categories

1. Upper body- Shoulder, arm, forarm & wrist


2. Upper back


3. lower back & Hips (gluteus)


4. Abdominal muscles


5. Lower body

We would discuss them in my posts that follows.

Ways to fight Heel pain

Heel pain –is also known as plantar fasciitis. If you have plantar fasciitis -- and you'll know because you will likely have a sharp pain in your heel when you first step down in the morning, or after you've been sitting for a while... I have noticed that simple measures which I have mentioned below can do

wonders to this pain.
Ways to Fight Heel Pain

There are many different causes of heel pain, but the most common cause is plantar fasciitis. If you experience a sharp pain in your heel when you first step down in the morning, it is most likely due to plantar fasciitis. This problem is a result of excess stress through a long ligament type structure (the plantar fascia) in the bottom of the foot. The excess stress causes tearing and results in inflammation and pain. The classic symptoms are pain in the heel at the first step in the morning, or upon rising after long periods of rest. Many will complain of a sharp pain in the heel when they step out of their car or after finishing their lunch break. Other individuals only experience heel pain at the end of the day or during certain types of activity like running, soccer or tennis. The pain may extend into the arch and feel achy at the end of the day.
Individuals develop plantar fasciitis for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons for the development of plantar fasciitis is wearing poor quality or worn out shoes. Another common reason is starting a new activity, such as walking or running, after a period of inactivity. Many active individuals develop plantar fasciitis after incorporating hills, stairs or uneven terrain into their training routine. A new job that requires standing all day or switching to a job with a harder surface, like cement floors, may contribute to it's development. Individuals with flatfeet or excess pronation (rolling in of the feet) may have a natural predisposition for plantar fasciitis. Regardless of how the problem started, the treatment is aimed at decreasing the stress on the arch and decreasing the inflammation.
1. Identify the cause: There is usually a reason for the development of plantar fasciitis, but since the condition is not typically associated with an acute injury it may be hard to remember. The pain may have gradually developed after starting a new training routine, changing the routine, running or walking on a new surface, switching shoes, wearing worn out shoes or starting a new job. Once the cause is identified, stop the activity or modify it.
2. Avoid aggravating activities: Going up and down stairs, walking or running on hills, squating, lifting heavy items and walking on uneven terrain all aggravate this condition. Try to decrease these by limiting the number of times you go up and down the stairs and avoiding hills. If you must squat down, keep the affected foot in front and flat on the ground. Do not lift or carry heavy items including your kids. Use a stroller or have your spouse, significant other or friend carry them.
3. Stop running or walking: Aerobic activity is important to maintain and cross training can help. Try biking or swimming. Most walkers hate the stationary bike at the gym, but remember this isn't forever. Don't drop your heel when you bike and try to avoid standing and hills if you cycle outdoors. If you participate in spin classes, you may need to modify the class to avoid further injury to the foot. The recumbent stationary bike may place excess stress through the arch because of the position. The classic stationary bike is more appropriate.
4. Use an ice massage: Freeze a sports water bottle or a juice can and place it on the floor. Roll your foot over the water bottle for at least 20 minutes twice a day. This helps decrease the inflammation in the foot while stretching out the arch.
5. Use a contrast bath: Icing helps decrease inflammation occurring within a 48-72 hour period. To help decrease chronic inflammation, try contrasting between ice and heat. Start with an ice pack on the heel and/or arch for 5 minutes. Switch to a heating pack or a hot water bath for 5 minutes. Alternate between the two for 20- 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. This may be more time consuming than the ice pack alone, but can bring considerable relief.
6. Roll a ball under your foot: Take a tennis ball, soft ball or even a rolling pin and roll your foot over it to help stretch out the plantar fascia. This can be done while watching TV or reading the paper. Rolling the foot over the tennis ball can also be done at work if you have a desk job or during a lunch break. (This should not cause pain. Don't continue if you have pain).
7. Stretch your calf in the morning: If you have pain in the morning upon waking, place a towel or a belt on your dresser. Before you get out of bed, wrap the towel or belt around the ball of your foot. By pulling the foot towards you and keeping your leg straight, you should feel a stretch in the back of the calf. This will also stretch the bottom of the foot. This is not time consuming or difficult to do, but it does require adjusting to a new routine.
8. Stretch your calf throughout the day: Spend about 5-10 minutes each evening stretching the calf as described above or with the runner's stretch. To really help keep the calf and the bottom of the foot stretched out, try and stretch for 30 seconds, 10 times a day.
9. Ultrasound therapy for few days will help reducing the inflammation. Also faradic foot bath can do wonders for heel pain because of any reason. Visit a Physiotherapy clinic asap.
10. Lose Weight: This is probably the last thing you wanted to hear. In fact, there is a good chance that you have gained some weight since the onset of your heel pain due to a decrease in activity. But, there is no way around the fact that increased weight on the body transmits to the feet. Increasing the stress on the plantar fascia can worsen plantar fasciitis, making it more difficult to treat. Eat smart and try to incorporate aerobic activity which decreases the impact on the feet.
11. Wear supportive shoes: This step may seem logical, but most individuals don't realize how many shoes lack support. A supportive shoe will only bend at the toes. Test all of your shoes and don't assume your running shoe is a supportive shoe. Take your shoe and flip it over. Grab the toe area and the heel and try to fold the shoe. If the shoe bends in half, then the shoe is not supportive. Don't go barefoot. Get up in the morning, do your stretch and then slip your feet in a supportive slipper or clog.
12. Strengthen the muscles in your feet: Place a thin towel on your kitchen floor. Place your foot over the base of the towel closest to you. Bring the towel towards you by curling the toes and gripping the towel as it slides under your foot. Place marbles on the floor and pick them up one by one with your toes and place them in a bowl. Also ask your physio therapist to show some intrinsic muscle strenghthening exercises to you.
13. Wear orthotics: Prefabricated orthotics are semi-rigid inserts that fit into the shoe to help control motion in your feet. Controlling abnormal motion in the feet can decrease the stress in the plantar fascia. Soft inserts available at the drug store may be comfortable, but they will not help control abnormal motion.
14. Try a night splint: A night splint holds the foot at 90 degrees while you sleep. This keeps the foot and the calf stretched out all night long. Night splints are an effective treatment, but can be quite uncomfortable. Some individuals have more luck with the sock night splints than with the rigid splints. You can ask your Physiotherapist from where to get these products tailor-made according to your foot size.
15. Take anti-inflammatory medications: consult your physician.