Therapeutic Exercise

?What’s a therapeutic exercise

Therapeutic exercise refers to a range of physical activities that helps restore

.and build physical strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and stability

The goal of therapeutic exercise is returning an injured person to a pain-free,

.fully functioning state

.Therapeutic exercise is managed by a physical therapist (PT) or chiropractor

A PT or chiropractor begins therapeutic exercise by taking a medical history

.and evaluating a patient’s physical condition and capabilities
Based on an initial assessment, the care provider will determine a treatment
.plan that includes an exercise program tailored to the patient’s needs
Therapeutic exercise programs are carefully monitored and emphasize slow
.progression
A provider may assist the patient with some physical movements, if warranted,
and will continuously modify the treatment plan according to the patient’s
.progress

The first goal of any therapeutic exercise plan is to reduce pain and
inflammation. Next, the goal may shift to regaining range of motion, rebuilding
.muscle strength, and developing endurance
:Therapeutic exercise programs may include
Strengthening exercises: To develop strength, the emphasis is on heavy
.resistance and a limited number of repetitions

Endurance exercises: To develop endurance, large muscle groups are engaged

.for a longer period of time

Flexibility exercises: To develop flexibility, stretching and movement are

.emphasized

Balance and coordination exercises: To develop balance and coordination, the

.emphasis is on center of gravity

:Functional movement assessment

The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is a movement-based 
.diagnostic system that assesses seven movement patterns

This system quickly identifies the root cause of musculoskeletal pain symptoms,
allowing providers to select therapeutic exercises that will address the
.underlying problem
Neuromuscular Reeducation Therapy
The American Medical Association defines neuromuscular reeducation as the
use of therapeutic exercise techniques to improve impaired movement, balance,
coordination, decreased kinesthetic sense, and impaired proprioception (sense of
.one’s location in space)

Two key approaches for neuromuscular reeducation therapy are proprioceptive

.neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and muscle energy techniques (MET)

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

retrains the nervous system in two ways. First, it stimulates proprioceptors,
which are receptors in joints that relay information about the body’s position
through the nervous system to the brain. Second, it uses a particular pattern of
.stretching to help increase movement

.PNF can be a particularly effective treatment modality

Patients who are in pain are often unaware of the various ways that their bodies
compensate for that pain, and these unconscious adaptations can introduce new
.sources of pain

The stretching patterns and sense of body positioning can help make patients
aware of the unhealthy, painful postures and promote greater strength and
.flexibility
Muscle Energy Techniques (MET)
is a form of active resistance that involves a patient resisting a gentle force that
a provider applies. Contracting muscles against the provider’s resistant involves
an active, voluntary action on the part of the client that engages higher brain
.function

The idea behind this technique is that involvement of higher brain function
empowers the client, making the patient an active part of the treatment process,
.which can result in changing chronic pain patterns

.MET has numerous positive benefits for injured tissues

It stimulates the growth of new cells, helps realign and strengthen connective
tissues, lengthens tissues if necessary, increases range of motion, and balances
muscle strength across joints. Overall, it provides a gentle alternative to
.traditional manipulation