Very often, exercises to improve the condition of the musculoskeletal system are done in a sitting or lying position. Such body positions do not allow the full functionality of the child’s body to be revealed. Unfortunately, very often the load is not given in a vertical position, which reduces the effectiveness of such training several times. After all, the child receives a low level of activity, and this has a bad effect on the condition of the whole organism. That is why the Gross simulator was developed to solve problems with impaired functionality of the musculoskeletal system in children.
What's special
The Gross simulator for children with cerebral palsy is an excellent aid for the rehabilitation of a growing organism. This is a modern and unique device that allows you to move not only throughout the entire space, but also around its own axis, which is also important. The simulator is built in such a way as not to hinder the movements of the upper and lower extremities, and a special insurance has the maximum level of safety and protects against falls.
The Gross simulator makes it possible to perform various exercises that, if performed regularly, will maximize the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy. The method of using the simulator has been tested and is effectively used for disorders of the musculoskeletal system not only in children, but also in adults.
As for children with cerebral palsy, conducting classes with a gradual increase in load can develop good motor skills in them. It becomes possible not only to maintain an upright body position, but also to walk and perform various movements.
Sports and home exercise equipment
A pool with plastic balls is of particular importance in the nursery of a child with cerebral palsy. Doctors recommend using solid materials as a base, no inflatable tent options. The frame of this pool can be a sheet of chipboard covered with padding polyester and fabric, with a massage lumpy mat as the base.
The growth and development of a child with cerebral palsy may lag significantly behind the average statistical norms for ordinary children; a parent should learn the rule of “own path.” When mastering new exercise equipment for a child with cerebral palsy, do not expect results to come immediately. On the contrary, your work will sprout in the distant future .
All simulators aimed at developing difficult body functions can be done independently. For example, an elastic band suspended from the ceiling can serve both as a training device for developing strength and coordination in the limbs, and as a fixator for vertical walking.
Personal training equipment should be considered separately from others, which includes splints, orthopedic shoes, stretch marks and supports in an upright position. These exercise equipment for children are made to order in orthopedic workshops, as prescribed by the attending physician.
If we consider a children's room as a room for the rehabilitation of a child with cerebral palsy, then there are a lot of possibilities. For example, rough wallpaper, relief paintings, and even wooden toys will help in practicing the tactile activity of the fingers. Multi-colored stepping mats, themed carpets or massage paths will come to the rescue in practicing the initial function of walking.
Don’t forget, the child should be interested in studying ! I understand that it’s difficult, but try to present the activity as a game, explain the difficulties by the need for a game plot. Very often, when something doesn’t work out for a child with cerebral palsy on the simulator, or he feels discomfort, pain, or your doubt, he may refuse further efforts. Your goal as a parent is to persuade him to continue the game.
To coordinate movements in the nursery of a child with cerebral palsy, it is worth using comfortable furniture with built-in “grabs”, “notches” or color signals.
We will talk separately about the organization of the sensory environment in the room of a child suffering from cerebral palsy; here we will touch on some more necessary equipment for relieving the spastic effect.
Why use a Gross machine?
This device is intended not only for children with visible signs of cerebral palsy, but also for children with problems in the musculoskeletal system. With its help, there was an excellent opportunity to solve several very important problems:
- Coordination develops well. This is very difficult to do with regular exercises on a mat.
- Muscle relaxation, if necessary, and other methods are difficult to achieve.
- Provides an excellent full body workout. Muscles and joints are involved in the work. In this case, dynamic, static and spatial loading is carried out.
The Gross simulator helps to effectively restore motor skills after spinal cord injuries, stroke, cerebral palsy and various problems of the musculoskeletal system.
Training in the Gross simulator
Training in the Gross simulator allows you to go through all the motor stages of a child’s development in the form of extension and rotation of the head, raising the belt of the upper limbs, straightening and rotation of the torso, stabilization of the supporting function of the limbs and stepping movements of the arms and legs forward. To activate leg movements when crawling, a simulator helps the child move his body. The leg is abducted at the hip and bent at the knee. Then the side of the bend is changed, activating the movements of the other leg. Crawling on your stomach with support on your forearms is a preparatory stage for moving on all fours. If in the prone position a pronounced flexion tone of the legs predominates as a result of the influence of the labyrinthine tonic reflex, this makes it difficult to stimulate support on the arms and lift the head in a position on all fours. Flexion activity of the legs can be suppressed by placing the child on his knees. If there is increased flexion tone in the legs, the child in the simulator has his legs raised to such a height that he can rest his hands with his extended arms on the floor or playpen and alternately make stepping movements with his hands.
Kneeling is an important step in preparation for independent standing and walking. In a kneeling position, it is easier than in a standing position to train the balance reactions of the torso, since due to the larger area of support, the reaction of fear of falling is less pronounced. Extension of the hip joints is facilitated by the exercise machine. It is necessary to ensure full extension of the spinal column, since kyphosis prevents the extension of the hips. Repeated performance of this exercise develops the strength of the erector muscles of the back and pelvis. Forms a sense of balance. You can teach walking on your knees using a sliding step. This contributes to the correct transfer of the center of gravity from one knee to the other and the formation of reciprocal movements necessary for future walking.
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Simulator capabilities
The Gross simulator for children provides the opportunity for children to perform any body movements and at the same time regulate their load. It is worth noting that all the muscles of the body will be involved in the work. It is almost impossible to do this with exercises while lying on the floor.
Please pay attention to the fact that not only a simulator has been developed for children with cerebral palsy, but also a special technique that will make the classes as effective as possible. Experts recommend recording all the results in a diary so that you can do a comparative analysis and adjust the load level during regular training.
Work should only begin under the supervision of specially trained people. And only after the first results are achieved, you can start doing it yourself. The exercise system is designed in such a way that a child with cerebral palsy will lose fear of existing obstacles and the surrounding space.
Important Tips
The Gross simulator, a photo of which you can see in this article, will be very effective provided that you follow several important rules:
- Before each lesson, check the device for proper operation. There must be no visible defects or malfunctions, otherwise there is a risk of injury.
- At the initial stages, do not leave the child unattended, try to teach him to perform all movements as correctly as possible and gradually reduce this assistance to a minimum.
- The Gross simulator is assembled individually for each client, taking into account all the assigned tasks.
Results after use
It’s hard to believe, but with regular training, the functionality of the entire body will significantly improve. In most cases, children diagnosed with cerebral palsy have learned to move independently. Many of them improved their speech skills, which contributed to the opportunity to go to mainstream or specialized schools. The majority of children's psycho-emotional state improved.
Advantages of the mechanism over others
- The ability to correct the condition of the musculoskeletal system after injury or cerebral palsy.
- The ability to accurately select exercises, load, as well as the very structure of their implementation.
- Almost all muscles will take part in the training process, which cannot be said about the use of other devices and exercises.
- The simulator can be used for various muscle lesions, which will make it possible to form a properly functioning muscular system.
- A very important advantage is the ability to exercise in an upright position without assistance. And this does not mean that this device does not allow you to perform exercises horizontally.
- Any movement will be secured using a safety belt, so the simulator is absolutely safe.
Push
It so happened that correcting the consequences of cerebral palsy was the main component of my childhood. Then there were no special devices for safety nets, there were no orthopedic systems, and splints were worn only at night.
But nevertheless, my parents read literature, bought ordinary sports equipment, modifying them for me, and also created various exercise equipment themselves.
So, I had two expanders for arm training. One dad made a small rubber ball, filling it with sand instead of air. The second one was cut from rubber from a tire. Mom sewed a rug on buckwheat, and I didn’t notice the training, because every morning I got up on this rug, played on it and did some exercises before going to bed.
Then it seemed to me that all the exercise equipment for a child with cerebral palsy was a waste of time and my energy, but today I understand what a great job my parents did so that I could live a full life.
Basic types of exercises
It is not recommended to do the Gross simulator yourself. It is better to use a custom-made device. It's not difficult to master. It is important to consider the correctness of fastenings, purpose and safety of the structure. The exercises can be done standing, lying down, sitting on a chair or even in the air. You need to start with the most basic exercises. They must be performed with the help of specially trained specialists. At the initial stages, their help is extremely necessary. Over time, the child will be able to perform such movements independently.
The purpose of the simplest exercises is to let the child understand that he is safe during training and no one will leave him. He will learn to maintain the correct body position, his coordination and speech abilities will improve.
When the first stage is completed, and the baby has no negative emotions regarding this simulator, you can complicate the task and start moving. You should start with a warm-up, active-passive exercises, and you can continue with jumping and pushing off the surface with both legs. To teach a child to push off, you need to forcefully bend both legs with a small range of motion. By doing this exercise in the simulator many times, the baby will develop the ability to push off. You can gradually increase the load depending on the results. Over time, you can learn to take steps. The child must be protected against falls.
Such a device is not uncommon. However, it is recommended to order the Gross simulator from the manufacturer, and not take it from hand. Only a high-quality product, created specifically for the client, will help to form correct posture and hold the head.
The main thing that parents should have is patience and a desire to help their child. Don't count on very quick results. Experts recommend recording even the most minimal improvements. Only in this way can you choose the right treatment program and speed it up. Don't forget about the emotional component. The baby will do much better if he does the exercises in a good mood.
The first simulators in the nursery for a child with cerebral palsy
To prolong the massage effect, you should take care of special exercise equipment for a child with cerebral palsy. For a baby, a massage (having a bumpy surface) puzzle mat should be used as a developmental mat. Its modular design allows for the optimal size to suit your child's height and weight.
The first exercises on the exercise mat will be of the nature of laying out, for several minutes on the stomach and back. On the same mat, you can carry out a light massage of the limbs, resting the baby’s heels on the bumpy surface, or helping the child feel the bumps of the mat with his hand.
By the way, ordinary heel-shaped massage mats with plastic spikes can become a favorite exercise machine for a child with cerebral palsy. Just place these foot massagers next to your baby's crib and start with a few walking exercises every morning. Firstly, most of the nerve endings are concentrated in the human heel, and secondly, such training improves blood circulation in the limbs.
To combine physical and mental development according to age, mothers can sew a multi-colored cover for a massage mat, with toys, pictures, and patterns on it. This will not only add health to your child, but will also give impetus to the development of cognitive interest.
Another necessary exercise machine for a child with cerebral palsy and damage to the upper extremities is an expander. For a baby, this could be a rattle made of thick fabric with natural filling (buckwheat, salt, rice). You won’t make much noise with such a rattle, but the simulator is aimed at developing the grasping reflex and relieving spasticity in the baby’s fingers.
Also, jumpers and walkers play a special role in the rehabilitation of a child with damage to the central nervous system.
It is important to remember, when choosing these simulators for a child with cerebral palsy, about the strength of the materials and the stability of the entire structure. Since the body of a child with cerebral palsy has poor coordination, walkers that are wobbly, plastic, or have sharp edges may pose more danger than benefit.
Jumpers for such a child should be purchased with an orthopedic insert under the back, with reliable fastex and fastenings to the wall.
Under no circumstances should you leave a child suffering from cerebral palsy in the gym alone. Any accidental movement can lead to serious complications!
Today there is a lot of debate about whether walkers with jumpers have any beneficial effect at all. Many doctors are of the opinion that it is better to use weight-bearing and pushing exercise machines than walkers.
“The skills acquired by a child using a walker may differ significantly from the natural ones, and the need for retraining cannot be ruled out. In the case of corrective walking, it is better to use canes, if avoiding exercise machines is not realistic.”
- they write on one of the medical forums dedicated to the problems of rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. But it’s still up to the parents to decide.
