Galileo Research Facts No. 15: Can Galileo Training decrease contractures?

Another study from the group of Prof. Schoenau at the University of Cologne (“Cologne Concept”). In this case Spina Bifida (open spine at birth) patients received Galileo Therapy in order to reduce contractures. The degree of contractures was measured as extension deficit at hip and knee before intervention, after 6 months of Galileo Therapy and 6 months post Galileo Therapy (follow-up). The results show that contractures could be reduced significantly within the 6 months of Galileo Therapy (yellow to red) but decrease again after the end of intervention (red to blue)). The reason why they decrease further than the start is probably because these patients in this age group show usually show an increase in contractures even under standard therapy.

Contractures can be understood as structural changes and shortening in muscles and tendons, with the largest part of the effect on the muscle side. Therefore, to reduce contractures with Galileo Therapy classic stretching exercises (16-18Hz) can be very effective – in the case of knee contractures very efficiently on the Galileo Delta tilt-table e.g. at a tilt-angle of 45°. The knees of the patients have to pressed down in this position and usually large effects can be seen after 5 minutes only.

To establish these short-term effects permanently this therapy has to be repeated permanently (unless functional improvements can be established as well) – otherwise as documented in this study, the contractures will increase again. One of the reasons of contractures is the lack of functional usage of the structure – in this case the lack of standing and walking or non-physiological gait patterns. Only if these deficits are addressed successfully, Galileo Therapy focusing on reduction of contractures is not necessary any more. Galileo Therapy can help to address these functional issues as well – in this study improvements of Gait (+20%, GMFM-66) and standing (+36%, GMFM-66) were documented which even persisted after 6 months follow-up – however, obviously not quite enough improvements yet to prevent increasing contractures without Galileo Therapy.

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