Physiotherapy in patients with brain damage aims to achieve the highest degree of autonomy and mobility

October 26, world day of acquired brain damage (DCA)

-physiotherapeutic treatment, within a health care team, favors the person with DCA can return to its average family and maintain their usual activities

-in Spain there are 420,000 with DCAa disease caused by a lesion, usually sudden, in brain structures

Madrid, October of 2012- the aim of physiotherapy in patients with acquired brain damage (DCA) is to achieve the highest degree of physical autonomy and optimisation of residuals of the patient engines resources, as stated by the General Council of physiotherapists schools of Spain (CGCFE) on the occasion of the held inn of the world day of the disease.

For this purpose, apply the measures necessary to prevent secondary complications caused by injury to the brain, preserve the functions, and achieve maximum possible physical, functional and social capacity. Therefore aims that the person can return to its average family and, if possible, school, work and maintain its leisure and sport activities ”, said the Member of the CGCFE, Iban Arrien.

Physical therapist develops individualized in the patient with DCA, programs that include the following techniques: mobilization and postural control, treatment of alterations in muscle tone and posture (spasticity and stiffness), techniques to re-educate the alterations of coordination, to acquire and improve the reactions, equilibrium, and support, all of them aimed at the development of the standing and running.

The process of physical therapy ”, explained Arrien, must start during the acute phase and go adapting and modifying according to each stage of evolution, until you reach the phase of stabilization and/or final sequels ”.

During that process, the physical therapist establishes a protocol of diagnostic assessment to evaluate the physical condition of the patient, their functional autonomy and then establish and implement a therapeutic programme to try to maximize their potential engine, through the work of the muscles, posture, coordination, the balance, the gear, the use of technical AIDS…

To do this, the Neurology expert physiotherapist is continuous and rigorous training within an interdisciplinary team to provide comprehensive, individualized and specialized treatment patient.

To get appropriate physiotherapeutic care must involve the family and/or caregivers and also work in your usual environment (home). Overcoming this problem requires the accessibility of all citizens to a network of resources that enables a continuum of care and the implementation of mechanisms that ensure coordination in care to these people and their families ”, Arrien has pointed out.

Priority

On the occasion of the celebration of the world day of the DCA, the CGCFE moved to management and stakeholders the need to address the care of people with DCA in an integral manner, giving priority to the continuum of care and strengthening health and social policies to prevent the exclusion of this group on the rise.

The CGCFE believed that criteria for access to social services, take into account the needs of persons with DCA (care specializing in day centres, residences, supervised apartments, employment and occupation for persons with disabilities, home support and Telecare, leisure policy or promotion of adapted sports).

However, many times we find that, despite the social and family situation which generates, the aftermath and the problems caused and, in general, the difficulties with which every day has to fight a person with DCA and his family, are absolutely unknown realities.

Brain damage

In Spain, more than 420,000 people living with disabilities by DCA, which is caused by a lesion, usually sudden, in brain structures. The main etiologies of DCA are strokes and head injuries. Other causes are facts (lack of oxygen), tumors and brain infections. The DCA often causes a decrease in both the health and the quality of life of the people who have, as well as their families.

CGCFE

The General Council of physiotherapists schools of Spain (CGCFE) is the body that represents more than 40,000 physiotherapists that, in Spain, working with the common goal of promoting the health of the citizens. In addition, ordering the profession, protects the interests of physiotherapy, as well as its optimal implementation and universalization.

Physical therapists are health professionals, as provided for in the existing legislation, accredited with the University degree in physiotherapy, given at 43 universities and holders of knowledge and skills to benefit the health of the population. in addition, there are a greater number of doctorates and masterswhich ensure high qualifications