Handicap care

Mr. Muthuukaruppan M.

Handicap & Disability

Disadvantage

for a given individual in his or her social

context, that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role
that is normal to an individual.
Any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity
in the manner normal to a individual.
Physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional or
combinations are noted.
Disability prevents subjects from being independent.
Disabled persons are addressed Differently Abled
persons.

Rehabilitation
Enhance

and restore functional ability and quality

of life to those with physical impairments or
disabilities
Primary prevention, Secondary prevention &
Tertiary prevention
Goal is to Add life to years, not years to life

WHO Identified 6 Handicaps

Locomotor

handicap: paraplegias
Hearing & speech handicap: loss of hearing & inability to
speak
Cardiopulmonary handicap: respiratory & vascular disorders
Visual handicap: blindness
Mental handicap: Conditions like Downs syndrome,
dyslexias
Emotionally disturbed

 Primary

disabilities are direct consequences of a

disease. eg-spinal cord injury, stroke
Secondary disabilities are those which did not
exist at the onset of primary disability but develop
subsequently. eg-tight muscles, joints etc.

Result of Decreased Activity due to

handicap

Rehabilitation Team
Doctor
Physiotherapist
Occupationaltherapist
Speech pathologist
Prosthetist Orthotist
Rehabilitation nurse
Psychologist
Music or play therapist
Biomedical engineer

Social worker
Vocational counselor
Special educator
Government agencies

Delivery of Rehabilitation care

Institutional

based care (IBR)

Homes
Day

care centers
Outpatient clinic
Camps
Community based rehabilitation (CBR)

Therapeutic exercises
Strengthening

exercises
Balance training
Coordination exercises
Gait training
Mobilization exercises
Re-education exercises
Massage techniques
Relaxation exercises

Strengthening exercises:
Set of exercises to improve the power of the
muscle or muscle groups
FITT principle frequency, intensity, time & type
Types of contraction concentric, eccentric or
isometric
Precautions needed to be taken care.
Balance training:
Procedures assisting in improving static & dynamic
balance are used in training

Coordination exercises:
For performing precise smooth and purposeful
movement using multiple muscles and a stable posture
Volition - Ability to start, maintain or stop an activity
Perception intact centers and areas in brain to
retrieve the plans stored prior
Motor plans in central nervous system
Repetitive exercises, precision & attention are
important part of treatment

Gait training:
Gait or human locomotion is a translatory
progression of the body as a whole, produced by
coordinated movements of body segments.
Normal gait requires sensory inputs and proper
muscular activity.
Gait training can be given using assistive devices
such as crutches, walkers, sticks etc.

Mobilization exercises:
Mobilization is passive movement in such a
manner or speed that the patient can stop the
movement at his will.
It helps in restoring or maintaining joint movement
Massage techniques:
Manipulation of soft tissues and assisting in
circulation of extremities
Assists in treating pathological disorders.

Relaxation exercises:
Relaxation is a state in which the muscles of the
body are relatively free from tension
General relaxation & Local relaxation
Reeducation exercises:
Exercises taught to train a lost or new activity to
muscle groups after various pathologies.
Done in grades to increase the activity
subsequently

Summary
Physical Activity/Exercise

can improve disability

and handicap
Improvement in quality of life

Rehabilitation is clearly the only practical means of

significantly improving function in Handicap
patients
George Kraft, MD
The Lancet, December 11, 1999