We learn to move even before we’re born and that coordination develops as we age. Even after a few years we’re walking with little effort. Over times the effects of injury, surgery, inactivity or overuse can put a tiny defect in the amazing coordination required for movements like walking or running. This tiny kink may go unnoticed but over time its effects become more and more profound. An injured muscle can lose strength or stop firing all together changing the stresses on our hips and knees but also affect the firing of surrounding muscles.
Rehabilitative exercises follow a very specific course often starting by restoring the normal activity of that affected muscle, balancing joint stresses and progressively improving the coordination of a larger movement.
These exercises can include:
- specific muscle strengthening
- specific muscle stretching
- developing body awareness (proprioceptive exercises)
- balancing on unstable surfaces
- coordination drills
- Injury prevention techniques
Rehabilitation exercises are very specific to a condition and to the person experiencing that condition. It takes a qualified health care provider to make an accurate diagnosis to guide the rehabilitative process. The description above should not act in anyway as a guide to rehab. If you feel you have a condition or injury that requires rehabilitative exercises you should consult with your family doctor or chiropractor.