Pediatric Intensive Physical Therapy Program (I.P.T)
The intensive Physical Therapy program was established in 2016.Dar El Mona provided the first intensive physical therapy center in Egypt. The goal of the program is to provide Pediatric Intensive therapy to lengthen the connective muscle device and manual exercises. We are highly skilled in this type of treatment and have the experience to gain many level of advancement from children with various disorders. We provide year-round intensive programs by highly trained physical therapists.
About the Program
Our intensive physical therapy is customized to meet the child’s individual needs. We offer 4- 6hour sessions, 5 days per week for 3-4 weeks. The number of hours and the length of the program may be modified according to the child’s needs.
Children of any age can benefit from the intensive therapy. We often modify our intensive program to 2 hours per day for children under the age of 1 year.
During most of our therapy sessions, the child is treated by one therapist only, except when unusual circumstances occur. The individual treatment plan enhances the coherence of to maximize the child’s improvement.
During the session, we utilize a wide variety of equipment as appropriate for each child.
We encourage parent/caregiver observation and involvement during the session, because we believe that active parents/caregivers play an important role in their child’s road to success. At the last day of the intensive program, the family receives and is trained on a home exercise program with the child’s own pictures and description of each exercise or activity.
I.P.T Conditions
- Cerebral palsy in all kinds
- Growth retardation in children
- Take off childbirth
- Brachial Plexus injury(Erb’s Palsy)
- Polio myelitis
- Birth defect in spine (spinal cord injuries)
Our Equipment and Therapy Methods
Our skilled therapists use a variety of equipment and therapy methods to encourage strength, quality of movement and independence such as:
Space suit therapy
Space Suit therapy is a breathable dynamic soft orthotics. It consists of a vest, shorts, knee pads, shoe attachments and a hat, which are fully connected by elastic bungees to realign and to challenge the body. Functional activities such as rolling, sitting, kneeling, standing and walking are performed with the suit to facilitate mastery of skills.
Benefits of the Space Suit therapy are as follows:
- Retrains the central nervous system
- Provides proprioceptive input (pressure from the joints, ligaments and muscles) which improves body awareness
- Improves sensory processing
- Improves muscle tone
- Improves strength through resistance
- Provides stability and supports weak muscles
- Improves posture
- Improves endurance
- Reduces uncontrolled movements in ataxia and athetosis
- Improves balance and coordination
- Facilitates proper movement patterns
- Improves gait pattern
Ugel Unit (The pendant device)
The Ugel Unit contains a system of pulleys, ropes and weight. It facilitates strength training and isolation of specific muscles while preventing unwanted compensatory muscle activation. It can be used for static stretching of tight muscles.
The Spider Therapy Unit
The Spider therapy unit consists of a belt and bungee cords (Spider) which provide dynamic support/suspension in various positions.
The Spider allows the child to maintain transition between sitting, kneeling on all-fours and standing positions with little or no support from the therapist. This allows the therapist to focus on the quality of movement and facilitation of muscles needed to maintain transition through each position.
The spider device also allows a large amount of self –confidence for the child and improves his experience and knowledge of normal movement patterns it loads the body weight on the lower parts allowing faster growth of bones and more muscle flexibility also prevent distortion.
The Treadmill Devise
The treadmill is one of the spider device therapy utensils. It improves fitness, strengthens leg and trunk muscles, balance and walking pattern.
With the use of the treadmill, the therapist helps the child learn to use the appropriate muscles for walking. The therapists use hands-on approach to promote appropriate movement patterns and/or prevent compensations.
Lengthening the connective muscle device
Lengthening the connective muscle device is used to lengthen the connective muscle and has great benefits in the treatment of children who suffer from walking (scissors and tip toe’s manner).
4D Formetric computerized radiation free spine assessment
The safest assessment device for spinal vertebral alignment/ deformities such as scoliosis, kyphosis as well as pelvic rotation abnormalities.