SWIMMING EXERSISES AS A METHOD TO TREAT CHILDREN WITH SCOLIOSIS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Idiopatic scoliosis is a disease, which is characterized by threedimensional deformation of the spine. leading to unstability of this structure. The subject of the study is the spine ,represented as a biomechanical, kinetic model and the mechanical forces, internal and external, acting on it. The proposed method makes it possible to correct the curves and to release the muscle’s disbalance with the following cathegories of children: children of 3 to 5 years old and children of 6 to 10 years old with 1 to 2 degree of curving, children of 11 to 13 years old treated by brace, children of 14 to 16 who have undergone a surgery intervention. The biomechanical analysis represents anatomical and operational analysis of the kinematic model behavior under study, expressed in mechanical values. This analysis makes it possible to predict the direction of the motion by determining the resultant of the muscle forces, causing the angular translation of the joint segments. The relationship between the number of actuator functions and the mobility of biomechanisms can be described by the logistic curve. It is known that the logistic principle of growth represents an important rule in biometry. The equation of the logistic curve / Verhulst & Pearl / is as follows: [...] METHODICS: The calculation of the operational values of the parameters of the model is made on the base of the surface EMG. In terms of the present model, the degree of muscular excitation is represented by: [...] RESULTS: The first data received as a result of the study shows that the effect of the exercises on the increase of the general muscle strength is already obvious during the second month after the beginning of the treatment*. This is a solid base to concentrate on the exersises with the damaged muscle groups. CONCLUSION: The results received are optimistic and make us continue the study of the children for a longer period of time. * Published: World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering September 14 -19, 1997 Nice, France: Volume 35, Supplement Part 1, 1997