Physiotherapy aims to achieve maximum independence in activities of daily life. Children with cerebral palsy have both motor and sensory issues. After detailed assessment, treatment plans are drawn up based on the children’s and family’s needs. Through specific handling skills and modification of the environment, more normal movement patterns are practiced within play, providing more sensorimotor experiences. Family members and caregivers are trained so that therapy becomes a part of daily routine. Therapists implement strategies that can be incorporated into functional activities. The therapist also collaborates and guides teachers about effective posture and enhanced movements in the classroom.
We also have Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) machine. WBV training is a method for muscle strengthening and it is being widely applied in a variety of clinical situations. During a typical vibration session, the user stands on the device in a static position or performs dynamic movements. Based on the research done it is believed that vibrations stimulate muscle spindles and alpha-motoneurons, which initiate a muscle contraction. Most studies on the impact of vibration treatment in various disorders focused on more or three therapeutic aims:
| A. Increasing Muscle Strength |
| B. Improving Balance |
| C. Increasing Bone Mass |
WHOLE BODY VIBRATION
| SHORT TERM BENEFITS | LONG TERM BENEFITS |
| Increase in oxygen consumption | Decreases the amount of muscle wasting and bone degeneration |
| Increase in muscle temperature and skin blood flow | Increase muscle performance and body balance which decreases the frequency of falls |
| Increase in muscle power | Increase in the hip bone mineral density |
Apart from the WBV machine. we too have acquired another training device, the LiteGait. LiteGait is a gait training device that helps manage weight bearing, posture, and balance while using a treadmill or walking on flat ground. It provides an optimal setting for treating patients with various impairments and functional abilities.
LiteGait promotes optimal posture, decreases weight bearing, mitigates balance concerns, and supports the training of coordinated lower extremity movements. Its innovative harness design enables both unilateral and bilateral support, facilitating the gradual progression of weight bearing from non-weight bearing to full weight bearing. Additionally, it allows clinicians/therapists to manually assist the legs and pelvis to establish proper gait patterns. The LiteGait harness offers postural control across the frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes.