Physiotherapy

We offer individual therapies, group therapies, and specific forms of therapy in Inpatient Physiotherapy at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre (SPC). We tailor your treatment programme to you, working to shape it with you.

• Respiratory therapy
• Pelvic floor training
• Movement training
• Electrotherapy
• Gait analysis
• Walking and gait training
• Group therapies and sports therapy
• Hand therapy
• Provision of aids, and training in how to use them
• Equine therapy
• Kinesio Tape and tape
• Neurological forms of therapy (Vojta, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, Bobath)
• Complementary Therapies
• Physiotherapy in the sling table
• Robotics-supported therapy
• Wheelchair handling
• Pain therapy
• Transfer training
• Trigger point treatment
• Application of heat and cold, sauna
• Hydrotherapy

Pelvic floor therapy following the Grosemans concept

The Grosemans concept has been developed by Belgian physiotherapist and osteopath Phillip Grosemans The concept is a physiotherapeutic, osteopathic therapy for urinary incontinence.
 

Electrotherapy

The term electrotherapy refers to the therapeutic use of electric current to alleviate pain, improve circulation, or stimulate muscles. In this context, we offer electrotherapy (biofeedback and functional electrical stimulation) as well as laser therapy, shockwave therapy and ultrasound.
 

Functional kinetics

In functional kinetics, there are many techniques and exercises that help the patient to learn how to regain economic movement behaviour, or which help the therapist to find the best possible compromise.

Gait training

Gait training refers to the systematic training of gait, with the objective of the patient practising all gait processes as physiologically as possible. In order to achieve this, it is necessary for gait to be adapted to the patient’s physical requirements. Appropriate aids may be used, depending on these requirements.

Kinesiotaping and taping

Kinesiotaping refers to a treatment technique in which highly elastic adhesive strips are applied to the skin in order to achieve various effects. Traditional, conventional taping uses a fixed, inelastic adhesive strip that is applied to the skin.

Manual therapy

Manual therapy is a form of treatment that is used both for diagnosis and to treat disorders of the locomotor system.

Maitland

The Maitland concept involves passive joint mobilisation and manipulation on the extremities and spine, as well as newer dynamic techniques, muscle lengthening, stabilising exercises, and individually adapted programmes for patients to undertake at home.

Mulligan
The key focus of the Mulligan concept is mobilisation through movement. The objective is to restore pain-free function through the use of “joint repositioning techniques”.

SAMT
The “Schweizerische Arbeitsgruppe für Manuelle Therapie” (“Swiss Working Group for Manual Therapy”) offers training based on several manual therapy concepts. It is tailored towards manual medicine.

 

Neurological forms of therapy

Bobath
The Bobath concept is based on neurophysiological and development neurology principles, and is oriented toward the patient’s resources. The concept can be used in rehabilitation, particularly following a stroke.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
The objective of PNF physiotherapy is to use increased stimulation of the senses to promote interaction between nerves and muscles, thereby facilitating physiological movement patterns that are stored in the central nervous system.

 

Trigger point therapy

The objective of trigger point therapy is to remedy hardening in the skeletal musculature. Local sensitivity to pressure and radiating pains are typical at these “myofascial trigger points”.

 

Vojta

Vojta therapy is based on reflex locomotion. The therapeutic application of reflex locomotion enables elementary movement patterns to be restored, at least partially, in patients with a damaged central nervous system and locomotor system, i.e. those areas become accessible again. Reflex locomotion is activated “reflexogenically”. In reflex locomotion, “reflex” refers to the stimuli externally applied for therapeutic purposes, and the defined and always consistent, “automatic” movement responses to those stimuli.

Applications of heat and cold, sauna

The effect of heat and cold is applied to improve circulation, relax muscles, and alleviate pain, as treatment before therapy or as a follow-up.
 

Hydrotherapy

Water is the ideal element for gymnastic activity that is gentle on the joints, particularly if the joint is not yet ready for full load following surgery. Another objective may be to learn to swim, or to provide the opportunity for spasticity due to neurological diseases to be reduced.

Outpatient Physiotherapy at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre (SPC) is organised in a similar way to a private physiotherapy practice. We specialise in the areas of neurology, orthopaedics, sports medicine and urology.

Individuals with spinal cord injuries may have restricted respiratory function. They have less strength in their respiratory musculature, and some patients are not able to cough independently. The specialist respiratory therapy group ensures that individual respiratory techniques are performed correctly, and provides regular training to the therapy team. It also implements evidence-based findings in the application of respiratory therapy devices.

Individuals with spinal cord injuries may have restricted function in the shoulder joints, depending on the level of injury. However, they are heavily reliant on their shoulder function for moving in wheelchairs or walking. The shoulder group raises both the patients’ and therapists’ awareness of the specific role of the shoulder joint in individuals with spinal cord injuries. It regularly provides training to the therapy team and proactively supports dialogue between the shoulder surgeon, patient, and therapy team.

Robots that cause paralysed muscles to move and aids that replace the wheelchair: assistive technologies are on the rise, and expectations for pioneering inventions are high. Objective: The technology is aimed at providing the best possible support to people with a disability, making their lives easier.

The Department for Hand Surgery is one of a kind in Europe: the only centre of excellence geared towards patients with underlying neurological diseases. The hand team specialises in fully or partially returning arm and hand function to patients with tetraplegia (cervical spine paralysis). In this process, muscles, tendons or nerves are surgically relocated and joined together. The interdisciplinary team consists of surgeons, rehabilitation doctors and hand therapists.

FES was introduced as a treatment method at the SPC in 1992. Since then, it has become an integral component in the rehabilitation of both inpatients and outpatients. All requirements for functional electrical stimulation in the musculoskeletal area are met, as listed in the guidelines issued by the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society (IFESS).

In 2018 we opened the International FES Centre for inpatients and outpatients in the field of neurological and musculoskeletal rehabilitation.

Equine therapy is a recognised medical treatment method in physiotherapy, performed with the aid of a small horse. In equine therapy, the rhythmic, three-dimensional movements of the horse are transferred to the patient, and in this way has a therapeutic effect without the patient actively influencing the horse. 

Would you like to train in therapies with us? Here is what we offer.

The training period can last between three months and a year. You will receive individual, personalised guidance from our specialist professionals. The first two months include a daily module-based teaching session lasting one hour. This session is aimed at the interdisciplinary transfer of knowledge and applications related to treating patients with spinal cord injuries. Various advanced training sessions on current issues in paraplegiology are available for small and large teams. You can also sit in on sessions for internal speciality departments.