Therapeutic Activities - Scottsdale Chiropractic Wellness

Therapeutic activities is defined as direct one-on-one supervision and instruction in the use of dynamic activities to develop, restore or improve one or more specific activities of daily living or employment. The ultimate goals of therapeutic activities are to develop, restore or improve specific activities of daily living or employment. Therapeutic activities involves the use of exercises to improve functional performance. Examples include bending, reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling. In addition, bed mobility and transfer training are examples of therapeutic activities. These activities are usually directed at a loss or restriction of mobility, strength, balance or coordination. As physical therapists, therapeutic activities is a vital aspect of treatment, as it helps patients to achieve maximal function, which is the ultimate goal. There are three different types of muscle contractions: concentric, isometric and eccentric. We learn of all the concentric actions of virtually every muscle in the body. It is easy to understand the isometric control of our muscles because the muscle essentially stays in a tonic, non-moving contractile position. However, why is the eccentric phase of muscles not stressed more? Being bipedal, locomotor systems, most of our everyday actions involve a series of open and closed chain actions. Muscles are constantly in a state of concentric contractions, eccentric contractions, or both all day long. All Physical Therapsits have learned of the origin and insertion of the peroneus longus (PL) muscle and that it plantarflexes and everts the foot as well as plantarflexes the 1st MT. This, however, is just half of the story. Sure we use this muscle concentrically when we are dressing, putting shoes on, lifting our foot up onto a step, or kicking a soccer ball with the outside of our foot, but one of it’s forgotten roles is what it does in a closed kinetic chain (CKC) system i.e. the stance phase of walking. With approximately 7200 steps (via about.com) taken per day, this CKC, eccentric muscle function, should be stressed more in school and in practice. The eccentric contractions of our muscles in everyday life are just as important as the concentric ones. Our therapists use functional activities (e.g., bending, lifting, carrying, reaching, pushing, pulling, stooping, catching and overhead activities) to improve your functional performance in a progressive manner.