Sports therapy is a comprehensive approach to neurorehabilitation that utilises a range of physical activities to help patients recover from traumatic or neurological injuries, such as stroke, or chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
Sports therapy was developed in the 1960s to help athletes recover from injuries and improve their performance. Since then, it has been adapted to rehabilitate patients with a wide range of injuries and illnesses.
Through activities that test and improve strength, endurance, speed, balance, responsiveness, and coordination, patients experience greater recovery from their injury or illness. The therapy is designed to help patients improve their physical function, build strength and endurance, and increase their overall fitness level. Moreover, the exercise is a prophylaxis against future neurological or traumatic events.
Sports therapy at Kliniken Schmieder provides our patients with various physical activities tailored to meet their individual needs. During our patients’ rehabilitation, it is particularly important to start the training with a large number of exercises as early as possible to promote the regeneration process.
The exercises at sports therapy are often trained playfully with our therapists, like in groups or sports games, to increase the joy of movement and the associated sense of achievement for our patients. The therapy typically involves a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching. All three types of training are important. The basis for the targeted training of our patients is the analysis of their individual performance requirements. It follows the “repetitive, intensive, and task-specific” exercise principle.
We offer a range of training types to meet the individual needs of our patients.
These include:
The experienced therapists at Kliniken Schmieder work closely with their patients to develop an individualised therapy plan that includes a range of activities designed to help them meet their rehabilitation goals.
Like most forms of physical therapy, sports therapy’s fundamental goal is to reclaim as much motor function as possible. Several studies support sports therapy’s efficacy in achieving this goal. In stroke patients, for instance, sports therapy can help reduce fatigue, improve balance, gait, and mobility, speed up arm recovery and function, and assist with activities of daily living, such as brushing teeth or using a pencil.
Indeed, depending on the activity, sports therapy improves not only gross motor function but also fine motor control. It enhances a patient’s overall sense of well-being, building self-confidence and reducing stress.
Other studies have shown that sports therapy can effectively treat neurological conditions, including spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis.
There are numerous benefits of sports therapy, including:
Sports therapy is a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation that uses a range of physical activities to help patients recover from injury or illness. The therapy is designed to help patients improve their physical function, build strength and endurance, and increase their overall fitness level.