Rehabilitation
To restore (someone) to
health or normal life by
training and therapy after
illness. (Oxford Dictionary)
To bring (someone or
something) back to a normal,
healthy condition after an
illness, injury, drug problem,
etc. (Webster Dictionary)
Objectives of Neuro-
rehab center
Hoilistic Approach – Need of the hour (1 in 3
stroke patients in India opts for CAM).
We want to bring in all that is good for the
patient under one roof to help the recovery
and help them to-
To maintain and enhance functionality in day-to-day
activities
Enhance mobility and balance
Enhance cognition
Reduce psychological distress
Naturopathy - Introduction
DOCTOR TREATS, NATURE HEALS
System of prevention, management and
rehabilitation of diseases and maintaining
health through combination of NON DRUG
THERAPIES that encourage individuals’
inherent self-healing power of the
individual.
Therapeutic procedures
Hydrotherapy
Pool Therapy
Jacuzzi, Jet baths
Baths
Manipulative Therapies - Massages
Acupuncture, acupressure
Mud Therapy
Therapeutic Fasting and Diet
Hydrotherapy
HEALING THROUGH WATER!!!
Underwater Exercise/pool
therapy
Buoyancy reduces
muscle work – action
against gravity
Water could both assist
and resist the
movements
Assistance – weakness
Resistance – Strength
Improved balance
Reduce pain
Sauna/Steam Baths
Heat – reduces pain
Reduce stiffness –
enhance ROM
Increase peripheral
circulation beyond
physical exercises
Induce sleep
Promote healing
Evidence for Hydrotherapy in NR
Aquatic exercises reduce fatigue and improve health related
quality of life in MS (Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 )
Improvement in gait, speed, grip strength in MS (Disabil
Rehabil. 2011)
Improved postural stability in Parkinson’s Disease than in land
based exercise (Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2011)
Hot foot bath for 30 min => Anti-spastic effect (Int J
Biometeorol. 2010)
Improvement in cognitive functions with hot foot bath (Clin Interv
Aging. 2013)
Adding hydrotherapy to the rehabilitation program can be helpful
in decreasing the amount of medication required. (Neurorehabil
Neural Repair. 2004)
Improved balance and posture in stroke survivors (Clin
Rehabil. 2008)
Benefits of Hydrotherapy
Use of hydrotherapy has the following advantages:
Increased movement ability due to increased joint ROM and
relaxation
An easy way of strengthening weak muscles
Movements can be made with less force and irradiation
Equilibrium, stability and adequate balance reactions can be
facilitated
Proprio- and exteroceptive input can be increased
Subjective complaints can be decreased, e.g. shoulder pain
Abnormal tone and stiffness can be normalized
Body image can be improved (no use of sticks etc.)
The healing touch-
Massage therapy
Objectives
To reduce spasticity
Enhance mobility
Relaxation
Improve peripheral
circulation
Reduce pain
Evidence for massage in
Neuro - Rehab
Therapeutic massages are the highest availed CAM in
India by stroke patients. (Top Stroke Rehabil. 2012)
Massage reduced pain in patients with Spinal cord injury
(Acupunct Med. 2011)
Several studies have concluded that therapeutic
massages-
Reduce anxiety, depression
Enhance mood and QOL
Alleviate pain
Acupuncture
Derived from TCM
Insertion of fine needles in specific points for
therapeutic purposes.
Redirecting the flow of “Qi”, the energy.
Different techniques-
Electroacupuncture
Scalp acupuncture
Auriculotherapy – ear acupuncture
Objectives
Pain management and thereby aid in mobility
Reduce spasm
Limit side effects of the medications
Improve sleep
Acupuncture: Evidence for NR
Meta-analysis of the 11 studies suggested a positive effect of
scalp acupuncture in post stroke rehab (Movement disorders,
2008)
The available evidence suggest that acupuncture may be
effective for treating paststroke neurological impairment and
dysfunction such as dysphasia (Neuroepidemiology 2014)
In animal models acupuncture is seen to reduce side-effects of
L-dopa in PD (Brain Research, 2014)
Acupuncture reduced spastic tone and motor neuron
excitability in spastic hemiplegia, and improved spastic state of
stroke patients (J Neurol Sci. 2009)
Significant improvement in the scores of paresthesias, urinary
symptoms, spasticity and muscle strength in MS patients (Mult
Scler. 2003)
Therapeutic Fasting /
Calorie restricted diet
Use of regulated and calorie restricted diet including
fasting in therapy.
Supplementation of essential nutrients through juices
Major tool in Naturopathy
Basic Principles- Fasting aids in healing
Known anti-ageing therapy
Evidence for Therapeutic
Fasting Therapy in NR
Weight reduction in obese individuals
Delay onset of neurodegenaration (J. Neurosci. 2013 )
Enhances neurotrophin expression and neurogenesis in the
hippocampus in animal models (journal of Neurochemistry,
2002)
Enhance memory (PNAS., 2008)
Reduces risk factors for atherosclerosis => Stroke Rehab
(PNAS., 2004)
May stimulate synaptic plasticity (Curr Opin Clin
Nutr Metab Care., 2008)
Naturopathy in Holistic Neuro – Rehab
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
“The doctor of the future will give NO
MEDICINE, but will interest his patients
in the care of the human body, in diet,
and in the cause and prevention of
disease”
Thomas Edison
Apar A. Saoji, BNYS, Ph.D. Scholar,
Asst. Professor and Naturopathy Physician,
The School of Yoga and Naturopathic Medicine,
S-VYASA Yoga University
[email protected]
