I must admit my understanding of Muscular Dystrophy before
this assignment was limited. I was first introduced to the disease as a child
from Jerry Lewis telethons, but my only personal experience with Muscular Dystrophy
as an adult came from assisting patients during my clinical rotations. The common
occurrence I noticed among those affected involved muscle weakness with a loss of balance,
especially when trying to ambulate. Intervention treatments consisted of what
one would expect from a novice PTA intern. Although they were effective and
gave the desired result, I could not help and contemplate if something more
could be done.
My background before learning about physical therapy
revolved around the world of martial arts. I started training at an early age
and instructed others throughout my teenage years and twenties. This led me to
thinking, what if there was a way to incorporate martial arts with physical
therapy. To my surprise, it has already been implemented (to a small degree).
In the martial arts world, there are many different styles
with different philosophies. To simplify things, disciplines can be summarized
as either a “hard” or “soft”. Soft styles teach more of a slower type body movement
and integrate meditation and breathing techniques into the curriculum. MD
patients already have a diminished capacity for exercise. They must utilize a
sub maximal training program to maintain mobility and posture. This led to me
thinking that perhaps performing techniques from a softer martial arts style
would offer benefit.
One 2004 research study
took 36 MD patients and divided them into two groups. Group 1 was instructed in
the art of Qi Gong (similar to Tai Chi) and group 2 was used for comparison.
The researchers tested and documented balance of the all participants using the
Berg-Balance Scale before and after a three-month training program. The end-results
were the test group improved their balance by +0.2!
The comparison group displayed a decrease in balance by
-1.3. The rating of perceived health was also maintained by the Qi Gong
participants, which was not the case for the comparison group.
Does this research mean all MD patients should perform Qi
Gong? No, every patient is unique and requires an personal evaluation
and treatment plan. Another thing I have realized is that for every study
result there is another study that discredits the information. Nevertheless, it
is interesting (to say the least) and I believe a step in the right direction.
Note: All images are
royalty free and courtesy of pixabay.com.
Link #2 Peer Reviewed Article (College log in required) http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=16&sid=7f6d097e-4c57-4de0-868d-84e66271c0fa%40sessionmgr112&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=106678178&db=rzh
Written and posted by: Josh W
Date: 02/02/16 - 7:54 PM Eastern
Date: 02/02/16 - 7:54 PM Eastern
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