F-2-14-02
FIBROMYALGIA: HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT
Vera Lucia Israel (Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil.)
PURPOSE: Assessment of the use of hydrotherapy to treat a patient with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis liar a period of 3 years and 11 months.
METHOS: the patient was a female aged 31 who underwent individual treatment in a heated swimming-pool during two thirty-minute weekly sections in Curitiba, PR, Brazil. For two years now, tile patient has swam for one hour before each therapy session. Procedure adopted in hydrotherapy: the phases of hydrotherapeutic treatment were as recommended by Israel (1995) i.e. adaptation, relaxation, specialized exercises, mastering or liquid medium and global fitness exercises. The techniques used comprised fitness activities (swimming with an emphasis on aerobic exercises); relaxation (sinuous, slow and rhythmic movements in decubitus and underwater massaging on the posterior trunk with the patient seated); hydrokinesiotherapy (stretching and joint decompression); guidelines for exercises to be done at home (muscular strengthening and stretching); mastering of liquid medium (underwater sliding combined with muscular stretching).
RESULTS: a reduction was observed in painful symptoms combined with a partial improvement in muscular shortenings. The patients general strength also improved significantly. The patient's acute rheumatoid arthritis crisis are currently under control and she reports that widespread pain is significantly reduced after hydrotherapy sessions.
CONCLUSION: Hydrotherapy has helped the patient improve her physical and functional condition by reducing pain and activating the muscular-skeletal system. Hydrotherapeutic techniques may be improved to increase the intervals between crises of rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
F-2-14-03
DESCRIPTION OF A HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT OF STAGE II MEDULLAR LESIONS
Vera Lucia Israel (Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil.)
PURPOSE: description of already applied and assessed hydrotherapy techniques during the adaptation phase of rehabilitation of patients suffering from medullar lesions.
METHOD: patients of various ages with medullar lesions (paraplegia and tetraplegia) treated in a heated swimming-pool fir 13 years in Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Procedure for adaptation of the swimming-pool: assessment of patients' skills in the water; description of basic safety measures to be adopted in the water; adaptation to the liquid medium (experiencing the physical properties of water; how water feels on eyes, ears and mouth); establishment of a code to communicate with the therapist; gaining the patient's trust; developing attractive activities (avoiding routine and improvisation); teaching flotation in prone and supine and respiratory control in the water.
RESULT: the needs of paraplegic and tetraplegic patients vary due to their different residual motor skills. All patients managed in a short period of time to adapt to the swimming-pool and benefit more from the hydrotherapeutic treatment.
CONCLUSION: the recovery of patients with medullar lesions may be faster if hydrotherapy is used from the early stages, specially if they are well adapted to the water. This type of treatment requires the oversight of a specialist and patients must be clinically apt to undergo hydrotherapy.
