Book a consultation with us for the Bobath therapy in Barcelona.
Developmental delays and motor problems are common in childhood. The former occurs in 10-15%(source nih.gov) of preschool children, and the latter was reported in one-fifth of the total sample in a recent study. Such conditions make the first steps for a child feel like a mountain to climb.
So, if your child has a developmental or motor challenge, know that you aren’t alone. However, here’s something vital to know–It’s never too early to seek help, and it’s never too late to make a difference in your child’s life.
At Turó Park Clinics, our physiotherapist, Britta Schneiders, specializes in the Bobath method for babies and children. Through the Bobath method, she has helped countless children achieve remarkable progress and lead fulfilling lives.
Schedule a consultation with Britta for Bobath therapy in Barcelona today.
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What is Bobath Therapy?
The Bobath method is a recognized approach rooted in neurophysical and developmental principles. It is named after its founders, Berta Bobath, a physiotherapist, and Karl Bobath, her husband, a psychiatrist/neuropsychiatrist who dedicated their lives to understanding and assisting patients with neurological conditions.
The Bobath approach is used to treat a spectrum of central movement, developmental, neurological, and neuromuscular conditions in infants and children. It focuses on harnessing your child’s strengths and objectives to help them develop mobility and function. This means normalizing their movement patterns and teaching them proper postures and movements.
A great thing about the Bobath therapy is how it actively involves parents. Parents are educated on proper infant or child care. The collaborative effort helps counter abnormal movement patterns and encourage natural movements.
This kind of support is essential to help kids with hypotonia (floppiness), hypertonia (stiffness), athetosis, and ataxia gain more stability and control over their movement.
What Are The Principles Of The Bobath Treatment?
Bobath therapy for babies and children focuses on the brain’s ability to adapt to change and recover from neurological damage. Hence, it stands on several pillars, such as:
- Encouraging children to move in a way that feels natural to them.
- Ensuring each movement is smooth, controlled, and as precise as possible.
- Determining a balanced muscle tone for active movement.
- Teaching the correct position and posture when sitting, standing, or lying.
- Discouraging compensatory movements and help find the right path to move efficiently.
- Working on coordination and control and not focusing too much on muscle strength.
- Promoting maximum functional recovery to help kids be independent.
What Is Bobath Therapy Used For?
The Bobath therapy is a comprehensive technique that offers support for infants and children facing various conditions and challenges.
Babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) may often have impaired motor skills and underdeveloped muscle tone. Bobath therapy is applied to premature babies right after birth to address motor development delays and improve muscle tone. It involves gentle techniques to facilitate the development of age-appropriate movement patterns.
Children who experience difficulties adapting to their new environment (from the protected prenatal environment to the external world) may exhibit symptoms like excessive crying, irritability, or feeding problems.
The Bobath method provides a nurturing environment that supports the infant’s emotional and physical well-being, helping them adapt more comfortably.
Some children lag behind in achieving developmental milestones, such as rolling over, crawling, or taking their first steps, due to several reasons, including genetic factors, premature birth, environmental factors, etc.
The Bobath concept provides targeted support, such as enhancing posture, strengthening muscles, and encouraging age-appropriate movements. This aids kids to easily pick up essential motor skills.
Cerebral palsy is a group of complex neurological conditions that affect muscle control and movement. The condition makes it difficult for children to move and maintain balance and posture. It is usually a result of damage or abnormal development of the parts of the brain that control movement and may happen before, during, or shortly after birth.
Bobath approach in Cerebral palsy optimizes movement patterns, enhances muscle tone, and improves functional independence. Apart from cerebral palsy support, the Bobath method also benefits children with other central nervous system disorders that affect movement and posture.
Spinal misalignment and conditions like scoliosis cause the spine to curve abnormally. Cranial asymmetries and torticollis refer to issues related to skull shape that cause the neck muscle to tighten, limiting head movement.
These conditions can result from hereditary factors or neuromuscular disorders and affect a child’s posture and mobility. Bobath therapy assists in correcting these issues by promoting proper spinal and cranial alignment and enhanced muscle balance.
Rheumatic diseases affect the joints, ligaments, tendons, bones, and muscles. Children with these conditions might often experience joint pain, stiffness, and limited mobility.
The Bobath approach focuses on enhancing joint mobility and muscle strength. It helps manage the physical effects of rheumatic diseases, contributing to a better quality of life.
Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic disorders that cause progressive weakness and muscle degeneration. Such conditions make movement hard for children. Bobath therapy improves muscle strength and function, maintaining and maximizing mobility and independence.
Children who suffer from nerve-related weakness (peripheral paresis), often due to birth-related injuries, can benefit from Bobath therapy. It strengthens affected muscles and promotes motor development.
Perceptual problems include a wide range of issues that affects how a child perceives what they see or hear. For example, the child may have difficulty recognizing objects or be slower in attempting tasks because they are trying to make sense of the world.
Perceptual problems can stem from various factors but are often due to damage to the parietal and occipital lobes of the brain. Bobath's treatment addresses perceptual conditions by working on sensory integration. It improves a child’s ability to process sensory information, enhancing overall awareness and responsiveness.
Genetic abnormalities give rise to conditions like Down’s syndrome (an extra copy of chromosome 21) that can impact a child’s physical and cognitive development.
The Bobath method offers relief to children with genetic syndromes through techniques tailored to address challenges associated with the condition. Ultimately, it enhances the child’s motor skills and overall development.
Foot deformities, such as flat feet, splay feet, or high arches, affect the structure and alignment of the feet, causing pain and changes in gait.
Bobath therapy offers targeted exercises and interventions to correct foot malpositions. It aims to improve foot alignment and mobility, thereby facilitating comfortable walking.
Damage to the cerebellum (the part of the brain coordinating voluntary movements) can manifest as difficulty maintaining stability, performing coordinated actions, or participating in physical activities.
The Bobath technique teaches balance and postural control skills. It improves coordination and boosts a child’s self-confidence, independence, and overall physical capabilities.
How Can Turó Park Clinics Help Your Child Get Better?
We understand that every child with developmental or motor challenges presents differently. Hence, we take a personalized and family-centered approach toward cerebral therapy.
What Are The Benefits Of Bobath Therapy?
Bobath technique for cerebral palsy, as well as other conditions, takes a holistic approach. Rather than focusing on one problem at a time, the Bobath concept looks at the whole picture.
To begin with, the physiotherapists who perform the Bobath therapy teach kids how to move in a way that works for them. They help children find new and better ways to do things, making daily tasks like getting dressed or playing with friends much easier.
But it’s not just about moving better; it’s also about living better. The Bobath approach helps reduce pain, makes communication easier, and even boosts confidence. It allows your child to take part in activities they love without feeling held back by their body.
The best part is that the Bobath therapy is gentle and non-invasive. It doesn’t involve needles, scary machines, or major surgeries. It’s all about patience, understanding, and working at a pace that suits your child.
The benefits include:
- Regained control over muscle
- Easier, goal-directed movements
- Better posture
- Stretches the muscles and makes them more relaxed
- Makes everyday activities easier
- Helps become more independent
How Can Turó Park Clinics Help Your Child Get Better?
At Turó Park Clinics, our mission is about transformation rather than treatment. We understand that every child with developmental or motor challenges presents differently. Hence, we take a personalized and family-centered approach toward cerebral therapy.
You and your child will begin your Bobath treatment journey in Barcelona with our physiotherapist through a brief discussion. This will help us understand your child’s distinct needs, symptoms, and concerns and tailor a Bobath therapy treatment plan to provide the best possible outcome.
Then, we analyze how your child communicates, moves, plays, and does basic everyday tasks to understand what’s impacting their abilities. Then, together with you, we set goals and work towards them.
Our approach to the Bobath method is built on a solid foundation of child development principles and an in-depth understanding of how the brain controls and learns movements. We use this knowledge to teach your child efficient ways to move through a combination of passive and active movements and other specialized handling techniques. Our goal is to make daily tasks more manageable for your child and help them achieve functional independence.
Our physiotherapist specializes in the Bobath method to treat several conditions, including head injuries, perceptual problems, rheumatic diseases, and spinal cord injuries.
By customizing therapy to the child's unique needs it focuses on normalizing movement patterns and managing muscle tone abnormalities. At Turó Park Clinics, we are pleased to introduce our new physiotherapist, Britta Schneiders, who specializes in the Bobath method.
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