New ideas are being used to treat developmental and functional problems, including problems at birth, disorders and traumatic injuries. Unfortunately, physical therapists who use these techniques can be tough to find. The increasingly popular method is known as neurodevelopmental therapy, or NDT.
At its core, NDT is a way to look at issues on a targeted, individual level. Physical therapists use hands-on exercises and high-tech machines to teach functional tasks. For instance, imagine a boy with disabilities who is unable to stand due to the disorder or injury might set small goals. One might be lifting the feet from the footrest on a wheelchair using the patient's own strength. In this case, the physical therapist would help the patient hands-on.
NDT is patient-driven, because each patient has set goals. For kids with disabilities, Mom and Dad may set the goals. For adult patients dealing with issues like stroke or TIB, the goal could involve walking, standing and more. Some of the best physical therapists who have used these methods say that a patient's ideas about their treatment is very important.
In addition to feeling like it's working, NDT truly is effective. Physical therapists say their patients need fewer supports and improve at proper positioning. Gains can be made in eating, speech, movement and much more.
For kids with special needs, physical therapists can use NDT to help them be less dependent. They can learn to support themselves, learning to climb stairs, or even stand up without help. The best pediatric physical therapists believe that some degree of improvement is within reach of almost any patient, even those with severe disabilities.
The body of research on NDT isn't very thorough, but the topic isn't really being challenged. Many of the studies have been done on relatively small sample sizes, so aren't widely generalizable. But it all makes sense and a growing number of pediatric physical therapists and other specialists have adopted its techniques.
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