Chief Physician Dr. Reinauer about the application of IDOGO®
in the geriatric rehabilitation department of the district hospital in Boeblingen:
Our therapists show an increased interest to guide their patients in their movements. That positively affects the disposition and motivation of the patients. IDOGO® can be used with all symptoms and different severity levels. The IDOGO® exercises can be accomplished lying in bed, sitting on a chair, standing or walking with arm movements. The patients can accomplish the movements depending upon ability, either up to the pain threshold or up to the full movement measure.
In particular with stroke patients with partial paralysis IDOGO® trains co-ordination, symmetrical self-supporting body posture and thus the equilibrium. With patients with parkinson syndrome body control and equilibrium improve. After surgery, e.g. for breaks within the shoulder range shortened muscle and nerve structures are stretched and spasms relieved. That leads to a larger movement extent and more fluid movements.
We also reduce high levels of hypertension because the patients are more relaxed.
I would not like to miss the application the IDOGO® pole in our rehabilitation hospital again.
With our patients we observe:
Actual improvement of mobility
Increase of coordination
Posture improvement
Increase of respiratory capacity and perseverance
Increased strength force
Equilibrium training for upright and balanced body posture
Relaxation
Increased Vitality
Smaller danger of injury due to coordinated arm movements
Users report on their experiences with the therapy appliance
For some years the 41cm long wooden pole with its spherical ends has been in use with various therapeutic occupations. Rehabilitation hospitals for heart and vascular disorders, stroke or cancer patients have tested the training appliance as well as hospitals for psychosomatic illnesses and a lung hospital for pre and post surgery therapies. With independent physiotherapists the small wooden pole was predominantly used with spinal column deformations, general movement restrictions following surgery, end prosthesis patients and with various kind of fractures. Preliminary experiential data on the efficiency of IDOGO® is also available for Parkinson disease, hyperactivity and autism with children.
The developer of the small wooden pole, Ping Liong Tjoa, was leader of several Tai Chi training centres in southern Germany and today leads the Tai Chi Chuan school Tjoa in Stuttgart. His intention has been to develop a device which integrates the indisputable positive health effects of Qi Gong with the advantages of western training and therapy methods.
The disadvantage of the eastern movement methods is, from a western point of view, the fact that it takes to the users too long, until positive effects on the organism are noticeable. Therefore, western therapists are quite hesitant about introducing medical knowledge from the Asia. Only everyday practice over a long period of time leads to success, which causes not only the patients to hesitate. Due to cost restrictions, rehabilitation hospitals and independent therapists have little time for therapeutical work with their patients. Therefore, therapy methods and training devices must take this factor into account, regardless of their efficiency.
Here IDOGO® builds a bridge builds between east and west. With little practise time and a versatile application spectrum it combines the experiences of the eastern school medicine with the circumstances of western therapy practise. It simplifies the use of remedial-gymnastic measures for patients and therapists and supports and shortens the healing process.
The advantage of the IDOGO® pole compared with other training devices is that it can easily be introduced into every existing therapy form. It can also be used in any position, lying, sitting and standing, so that it is also helpful with very movement-limited patients. It covers a wide application spectrum of syndromes allows the patient additional independent practicing beyond therapy hours, so that healing processes are accelerated.
The Application with Stroke and Parkinson Patients
Barbara Michalski, regional chairman of the Citizens of Berlin and Brandenburg VPT federation has worked with IDOGO® in her practice with orthopaedic and surgical patients for approximately one year. In addition she has stroke, cancer, bronchitis and asthma patients.
Her experience with stroke patients is that the paralysed body parts need guidance, in order to be able to complete medical gymnastic exercises at all. In addition, in previous exercising, support either by the patients themselves or by the therapist, the movements can never be completely even. This adds additional and excessive stress to the healthy muscle parts. IDOGO® takes over the task of guidance and automatically leads to the correct and symmetrical movement. The pole is fastened, in this case, by the sphere end with a seal to the impaired hand, the other hand holds the other sphere end. The patient can concentrate on his body perception and is able to perform deeper motions. The therapist experiences, because he does not have to accompany or guide, that he can strengthen the actual treatment. A very crucial phenomenon of the IDOGO® is that independent of the position it is used it for, every time the movement produces an optimal body posture. The lungs can spread optimally enabling the highest possible oxygen supply to the organism during the entire medicinal gymnastic activity and positively affects metabolic processes.
Surgical and Orthopaedic Patients
This effect is mainly of importance after surgery, as reported by users
Patients with large scars are afraid of pain and strain on their scar tissue is inclined to cramp and not to fully extend their movement radius. Thereby simultaneously their respiration becomes flatter. Often the perception of the capability to perform an exercise is also impaired. These factors disturb and retard the healing process. All users confirm that IDOGO® can solve this problem, not only because its enables an optimal movement radius, which ensures optimal oxygen supply to the lungs, but because at the same time it also protects against overstressing the weakened parts. The aspect of breathing is emphasized again and again by the users. Deep and calm respiration guarantees the fact that the patient can, simultaneously concentrate on its medicinal gymnastic exercises be completely at ease.
Additionally, favourable metabolic influence is initiated by the increased oxygenation. This positive influence is also noticeable with the treatment of all orthopaedic disorders (e.g. HWS, WG, BWS, LWS, Lordosis of the LWS, Scoliosis) and surgical patients (e.g. mammo, lung). This also applies to patients with end prosthesis.
Respiratory Disorders, Asthma, Bronchitis
A relaxed and deep respiration in combination with optimal movements, with courses of motion considerably supports the healing process. Particularly with the treatment of respiratory disorders, and especially with asthma and bronchitis or after lung surgery the patient profits from the increased oxygen intake and an optimally opened lung. Mucus deposits are coughed up more easily, already solidified secretions separate more easily without the otherwise usual pain. The observations of physiotherapists also show that the fear of painful cough accumulations is clearly reduced, because the perception and concentration are no longer aligned to the cough, but to the pole. In the Stuttgart lung hospital experience shows that, in particular with prophylactic therapies for thorax mobilisation, that the patients can perform the exercises evenly, coordinated and more softy. Relaxation and a deeper respiration are the result.
Hypertension, Hyperactivity and Autism
The pole can activate a new direction in the perception in patients with hypertension, hyperactivity and autism. Here isolated experiences from the treatment of children are available. In these cases IDOGO® was not used for movement exercises, but only with the spheres in the hands. It was shown that, with the pole, the typical lack of concentration with these patients improves.
Also energy thrusts or psychological overloads with autistic patients, who usually express themselves by hitting or biting, can be completed by holding the pole. The simple rotation of the IDOGO® spheres also works satisfactorily with the treatment of blood pressure patients.
Carmen Lienert and Hans Rapp of the rehabilitation hospital in Boeblingen confirm that treatment with IDOGO® can control increased blood pressure without medication. An investigation with comparison groups showed that the rotation of the pole leads to the same values as with medication treatment. Comparable experiences are also available from other physiotherapists.
In summary it can be stated that the IDOGO® pole is very efficient in the therapeutic work . Patient and therapist profit equally from the versatile usage of the pole.