The basic aim of the method is to work on the function that was lost. This concept recommends holistic treatment of patients with the use of strong and healthy regions of the body. It enables full use of the body reserves, motivates to further activity, and most importantly, it ensures painless muscle mobilization without psychologically and physically traumatic experiences. Based on human anatomy, PNF offers natural movements that are three-dimensional and similar to everyday activities. These movements are conducted along oblique (diagonal) axes of motion which, because of their course, open the possibility of activating the biggest number of muscles that belong to the same muscular chain. PNF also concentrates on patients’ motor control, that is on interaction between stability and mobility of their body with particular consideration of eccentric muscle action in conditions of gravitation. Benefits gained from using PNF concept:

it is a patient-friendly method – it is based on painless procedures that use strong parts of the patient’s body and their abilities in order to facilitate the reeducation of the functions that were lost,

high level of safety that results from integration of therapy procedures and diagnosis,

possibility of working with patients with every level of dysfunction – the therapy supports all functions from motor functions to vegetative functions,

high level of patient education which is based on participation in therapy planning and continuation of exercises in the form of home exercise programme,

minimum equipment requirements,

high effectiveness of therapy that results from thorough analysis of the problem and targeted rehabilitation.

It is mechanical diagnosing and therapy (MDT) based on knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and neurology. This method is based on numerous scientific proofs; it belongs to reliable medicine and is applied all over the world. The principal advantage of this method is precise patient’s diagnostics, which guarantees the implementation of appropriate therapeutic procedure, education regarding prophylactics of reoccurrence and conducting auto-therapy at home. Individually selected exercises let the patient overcome the source of pain, which assures high efficiency of treatment. It demonstrates very good efficiency in diagnosing and treating patients with spine pains and dysfunctions.

Human body posture changes throughout the period of development, from the moment of birth till death. It changes not only with age, but also under the influence of many factors, such as: lifestyle, type of work, time of the day, tiredness, or ways of spending free time. Because of development of contemporary civilization, it is legitimate to examine children for assessment of their posture since poor posture may lead to negative consequences, such as pain or functional disorders. To diagnose body posture, I use the following methods:

• Method of silhouettes recorded with the use of photography,

• Assessment of anterior-posterior spinal curvatures and the range of spine mobility with the use of the Rippstein plurimeter,

• Assessment of mobility range in peripheral joints with the use of goniometer,

• Assessment of torso rotation asymmetry with the use of scoliometer,

• Assessment methods based on the criterion of vertical and horizontal lines,

• Criterion of symmetric lines.

PNF is a method used for work on motor control in patients with:

• NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS:

  craniocerebral injuries, spinal cord injuries, polyneuropathy, muscular dystrophy, disorders after neurosurgical treatment.

• ORTHOPEDIC DISORDERS:

  status post fracture, dislocation, sprain, ACL reconstruction, after sports injuries, muscle injuries, Achilles tendon injury, surgical procedures, amputation. It is also effectively used in:

• PEDIATRICS

  cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy, myelomenigocele, Down syndrome, any disease entity connected with central nervous system disorders, developmental disorders.

• FAULTY POSTURE AND SCOLIOSIS:

  single curve shaped scoliosis (“c-shaped scoliosis”), double curve shaped scoliosis (“s-shaped scoliosis”), body asymmetries (scapular asymmetry, wing of ilium asymmetry, torso asymmetry), kyphosis, flat back, lordosis, Scheuermann’s disease, torticollis, flat feet.

• Kynesiotaping:

  A therapeutic method involving sticking on selected body fragments a tape with a special structure. It is one of taping methods. It was developed and popularized in the early 1980’s by a Japanese doctor Kenzo Kase. A specially made plaster Kinesio Tex Gold is used. It is a plaster which does not limit movements, stretching only along the length with weight and thickness similar to skin parameters, resistant to water and allowing airflow due to wave woven method. Kynesiotaping is a therapy supporting treatment of numerous diseases. It is universal enough to be applied as sport physiotherapy (professional and amateur), a way to relieve pain (i. a. during pregnancy), in case of treating injuries of joints and muscles, lymphatic drainage or post-surgery therapies (wound healing, reduces swelling and improves absorption of scars and fibrosis). This method can also be successfully used as accompanying treatment of neurological, orthopaedic, gynaecological and paediatric disorders. The physiotherapists’ experience shows that dynamic taping also supports the correction of posture.

• Trigger point therapy:

  s a technique which uses various forms of pressure and movements in various directions in sensitive places of the soft tissue. The aim of the therapy is to abolish pain and improve disturbed movement patterns. The trigger point therapy is sometimes also called the myofascial therapy. The entire concept was developed by dr Janet Travell from the United States in the 1940’s. Janet Travell calls a trigger point sensitive places in muscles with intensified tension, which are painful under pressure and cause radiating pain and other symptoms in body areas distant from the irritated place. The radiating pain from certain trigger points often reminds of the pain topography in sciatica or discopathy.

There are many types of massage, however all of them involve systematic techniques of rubbing, petting, pressing, squeezing, or pummelling strongly skin, muscles or joints. The medical massage is first of all recommended for spine pains resulting from posture defects, sitting life style, degenerative changes as well as overloading. It is recommended for various muscle tensions and stiffening caused by, among others, prolonged stress. It is also considered a necessary element of therapy after fractures, sprains and luxations, (it relieves pain, swelling, accelerates absorption of effusions, improves blood supply and nutrition of soft tissues around a joint and abolishes contractures), when muscles and tendons are damaged (abolishes inflammatory effusion, prevents adhesion within muscles and limitations of movement in a joint) or when the peripheral nerve is damaged (removes swelling, prevents contractures, improves muscles, accelerates the nerve regeneration). It is also recommended to chronically lying people to prevent the occurrence of contractions and improve blood circulation, which will at the same time decrease the risk of difficult to cure bedsores.

Classic Massage

This massage belongs to a group of dry massages, of therapeutic character, performed manually. It can be described as a method of physical treatment of outer and inner diseases symptoms and in many cases also diseases causes. Classical massage is a mechanical stimulation of tissues, it affects the system directly and indirectly. It comprises numerous moves, holds and working out (stroking, chafing (rubbing), pressing down, patting, vibrations, shaking, rolling) providing the treatment therapy as well as disease prevention.

• Circulatory system diseases (chronic peripheral circulation failure, lowered blood pressure, slight cor adiposum)
• Respiratory system diseases (conditions after pneumonia, pleuritis, bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, conditions after thoracoscopic procedures)
• Skeletal striated muscles functions disorders (muscular atrophy, muscles chronic inflammatory conditions, muscles crush, muscles fibres breaking)
• Peripheral nerves diseases (sciatic neuralgia, nerves chronic inflammation, neuralgia)
• Movement organs diseases (contusion, sprain, strain changes, post-fracture conditions)
• Rheumatic diseases (all forms of rheumatism, spondylosis, degenerative changes in soft tissues)

Segmentary Massage

More and more often the classical massage is completed with segmentary massage elements, which , just like classical massage belongs to a group of so called dry massages, performed manually by masseurs. The segmentary massage is the therapeutic treatment. It includes numerous holds and working out, the precisely defined amount, technique and sequence of which enables to find and get rid of the lesions as the result of the reflex action. In contrast to the classical massage, the segmentary massage is used particularly in the internal organs diseases treatment.

• Functional and chronic diseases of internal organs
• Circulatory disturbances
• Functional, degenerative and chronic diseases of the spine, joints and soft tissues
• Traumatic conditions
• Vegetative autonomic nervous system disorders
• Functional disorders of endocrine glands

Lymphatic drainage – antiedematous therapy

Manual lymphatic drainage is one of the physical treatment methods. It involves mechanical pushing the lymph in the lymphatic vessels system and lymph nodes , it is supported by bandaging and gymnastics restoring patency. Applying appropriate techniques enables to increase the efficiency of lymph and prevent the diseases caused by the stasis, and it also helps to remove the stagnant, inflammatory and lymphatic oedemas. It helps lymph flow efficiency after suffered infectious and neoplastic diseases thus enhancing a quicker recovery.

Nowadays the lymphatic drainage is one of the most popular massage treatments, used not only for cosmetic-preventive purposes but first of all in the complex therapy of restoring patency after amputations and resections.

• Post-traumatic oedemas
• Post-inflammatory condition oedemas
• Rheumatic diseases oedemas
• Lymphatic oedemas and lymphadenopathy after infectious diseases
• Mastectomy oedemas
• Lymphatic drainage disorders

Scars mobilisation

The scar is a result of the wound healing. It replaces the tissue which was damaged being the result of the injury or disease. The scar is a tissue composing of a big amount of collagenous fibres thus without the primary tissues qualities. It is also devoid of glands and pigment cells. The shape and character of the scar is dependent on the type of injury, the body part and the individual predisposition. We cannot avoid scars. If we had suffered from the injury or had to be operated on we should mainly make sure the scar heals in a proper way without complications. The essential and necessary thing is to start mobilisation at the beginning. Moving the tissues surrounding the healing wound prevents them from sticking and overgrowing and it also helps to avoid deep hypertrophied scars. Properly selected holds enable us to mobilise and soften the formed scar.

Contralateral Massage

It belongs to a category of therapeutic massages performed on the healthy limb parallel to the unhealthy one. This type of massage is performed mainly when we cannot massage the unhealthy limb due to the contraindications (e.g. inflammatory conditions, burns, big wounds, plaster cast, dermatological changes). Contralateral massage affects the healthy limb mobilising the blood flow and increasing the number of nerve stimuli via vascular-motor decussation of physiological reflexes in the opposite side by 30 %. The characteristic feature of the massage is performing it with the considerable force on the threshold of pain using classical massage techniques. The effect of the massage is the hastened process of synostis even by 2 weeks, thanks to which we can prevent the changes characteristic for the long-term limb immobilization.