Exercise therapy first year

1. Group exercise

2. • Group exercise is the progression from the
individual treatment.
• They learn to take some responsibility for his own
efforts while working with others.
• At the outset it is essential to distinguish group
exercise from the mass exercise.
• The latter is performed by a large number of
people to a formal word of command or a rhythm
dictated by an instructors and little or no
assistance or correction can be given to the
individual.

3. • Where a small number of people work together in
group exercise there is concentration on the needs of
the individual.
• A small numbers of patients, preferably never
exceeding six or eight, are grouped together because
they have some common disability which will benefit
from exercises which are similar in character.
• While there is common ground with regard to the
exercsie there is also room for modification in range,
effort and speed of movement, so that they can be
adapted to suit the individual needs of each member of
the group and produce the maximum effect.

4. • Because of the common ground the pattern of
each exercise can be taught to the whole group
simultaneously.
• Then allowed for free practice of the whole or
part of the exercise.
• Each patient performs the movement according to
his own capacity and in his own rhythm,
encouraged and corrected by the physiotherapist
according to his individual need.

5. Advantage
• The patient learns to take a measures of
responsibility for his own exercise, and so is
helped towards adequate home practice.
• Patients treated individually for too long come to
rely on the presence and assistance of the
physiotherapist and feel that these are essential.
• In group, the amount of attension given to the
individual patient decrease in proportion to the
number in the group, supervision and
encouragement is available when required.

6. • The patient learns to work with others and no
longer considers himself set apart from his fellow
men because of his disability.
• The patient is given confidence in the treatment
and is therefore stimulated to further effort.
• The patient is given confidence in his ability to
hold his own with others when the group
performs some exercise.
• Effort is stimulated by some activities which call
for a mild from of competition.
• Patients are helped to forget their disability
temporarily by objectives and game like
activities. Which only possible in group
treatment.

7. Disadvantage
• These arise from the misunderstanding of the system.
• Faulty selection of patients, inadequate explanation to
the patient, overcrowding of groups and poor
technique of instruction, are the most common cause
of failure to benefit the patient.

8. Organization
• As with any other form of exercise therapy the
keystone of success is to give the patient right
exercises, at the right time and in the right way.

9. • Selection of patients
• Grading of groups
• Explanation to the patient
• Number of patients in a group
• The technique of instruction

10. Selection of patients
• Any patient who is capable of and is expected to do,
home exercise can be drafted in to a suitable group
once the basic instruction has been given and is
understood.
• Individual attention may also be required in many
cases and is obviously essential when there is no
suitable group.
• Group treatment cannot replace individual treatment,
it is progression.

11. Grading of group
• The patient must only be drafted to a group in which
the exercise performed are suitable to his capacity,
and he must be progressed from that group to another
as his capacity increases.
• Groups are formed according to the location and
nature of the disability, the age group and sex of the
patients and are graded according to the nature and
strength of the exercise performed

12. Method of grading leg exercise for men
• Leg C – Traumatic injuries; for non weight bearing
exercise
• Leg B – Traumatic injuries; for partial weight bearing
exercise
• Leg A – Traumatic injuries; for full weight bearing
exercises and activities leading to final rehabilitation.
• Leg X – Non traumatic conditions, for non weight
bearing exercise

13. • It is an advantage for progressive groups to exercise
simultaneously, as this facilities the movement for
patients from one group to another without the
necessity of altering the time of the appointment for
the treatment.
• Re-grading must be made at frequent intervals.
• It can be done by the doctor or by the physiotherapist;
it is a skilled job and its efficiency determines the
success of this method of giving treatment.

14. Explanation to the patient
• Before joining a group the patient must be given
preliminary instruction in some of the exercise and an
explanation of their purpose with regard to his
disability.
• His confidence must be gained so that he feels he can
report progress or any further symptoms which may
arise.

15. Number of patients in a group
• The number of patients who can be successfully
treated in a group depends to some extent on the
nature of their disability and how much help each will
require, and also on the ability of the physiotherapist
to see and give help when it is needed.
• Overcrowding results in a form of mass exercise as
the number of patients in the group makes it
impossible for the physiotherapist to give adequate
individual attention.

16. The technique of instruction
• The technique of conducting group exercise is
basically the same as that required to teach and
supervise individual exercise.
• The ability to see where help and encouragement are
required in the case of several people is merely an
extension of the ability required to give it to one and
it comes with practice and experience.