Rehabilitation of Neuromotor Disabilities in Aquatic Microgravity Environment

Abstract

The aquatic environment has a high potential in rehabilitation treatment of acute lesions and in chronic diseases. The Safe Bearing Back method is proposed to stimulate the reorganization of deteriorated sensory neuromotor skills. The aim of the present study was to verify the effectiveness and the long-term maintenance of the benefits of a specific thermal rehabilitation training in neuromotor and neurological disabilities. Seventy four patients were evaluated using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Tinetti Gait-Balance Scale (TIN), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain. In addition, a general health index was developed, conceived as a linear combination, with unit weights, of the normalized FIM, TIN, and VAS indicators. Measurements were made at T1 (baseline before treatment), T2 (after a five-month treatment, which was the end of treatment), and T3 (6 months after the end of treatment). Self-sufficiency, walking ability, and subjective pain perception were improved after the treatment. The improvement tapered off during the six-month-long follow-up, but the patients' condition remained well compared with the baseline level before the implementation of the treatment program. We conclude that hydrokinesitherapy with the Safe Bearing Back method demonstrates is clearly effective in the immediate and medium-term rehabilitation of neuromotor diseases.

Breathing and its stimulatory responses in parkinsonism: repercussions for physiotherapy

“…Breathing exercises, through appropriate movements of the chest, activate muscle spindles in the inter-costal respiratory muscles, leading to a greater chest expansion, better oxygen supply, reduction of dead space ventilation, a decrease in the feeling of breath shortness, and cognition. In particular, integrated rehabilitative approach of thermal aquatic environment, combined with neuromuscular manual stimulation, to activate the natural link between sensory visceral and somatic neuronal motor pathways, appears highly recommended in neurodegenerative conditions (Barassi et al, 2020;Barassi et al, 2019;Barassi et al, 2018). Comprehensive rehabilitation program should also include nutritional and behavioral aspects.…”

The Effects of Aquatic Watsu Therapy on Gross Motor Performance and Quality of Life for Children with Cerebral Palsy

“…Thus, the altered visual, tactile, proprioceptive and vestibular inputs in Watsu therapy may have played a critical role in the reorganization of deteriorated sensory, neuromotor skills, which form the basis for motor functioning and muscular tonus improvements (Tables 3, 5). Also, the activated proprioceptive track, neuromuscular and afferent C-tactile fibre stimulation in warm water can reinstate the earlier stages of ontogeny, reducing motor function constraints (Barassi et al, 2018). Vestibular input and activation of afferent C-tactile fibres can also alleviate hypertonia that results in higher GMFM 88.…”

The effects of aquatic therapy during post-acute neurorehabilitation in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a preliminary randomized controlled trial

“…A water environment is, in fact, considered advantageous as it allows to perform exercises with a reduction of the load level on the lower extremities and with less fear of falling, representing an optimal working environment in case of postural impairments (46,47); in contrast, the difficulties in physical exercise on the ground do not allow the execution of the most challenging exercises considering the incidence of the force of gravity on postural impairments (23).…”