What kind of exercises can help you?

I tried to find a way to keep my muscles alive as long as possible. It’s really difficult without professional help. For people with SMA it’s very important don’t exercise to exhaustion. Wishing to get improvement you can lose even lack of your forces. The first rule: be careful!

Here are some methods and exercises which I tried and got good results.

• The method of Valentin Dikul
• The Vojta Method 
• Mental exercises
• The exercises with a helper

The method of Valentin Dikul is based on his personal experience. After  a spinal column fracture he not only started walking but returned to his work in circus. Dr. Dikul has devised the rehabilitation equipment and system of exercises. I was lucky to try his method in 1988. My dad made the special training device and helped me to exercise. After 6 months my muscles became stronger and I felt much better. Unfortunately, I was forced to stop my exercise because of my father’s illness. None else was ready to sacrifice one’s time to help me. The training device stood in my room about 15 years and I used it only as support while standing up. If you have chance to practice Dikul’s method, do it without hesitation! Just stop yourself from exra efforts.

The Vojta Method  (Reflexlocomotion is the technique for the treatment of physical and mental impairment in humans, discovered by Václav Vojta)

INDICATIONS OF THE V. VOJTA TECHNIQUE

• Severe and medium central coordination disorders
• Light but asymmetrical central coordination disorders
• Cerebral palsy
• Muscular and neurogen torticolis
• Peripheral Paralyses (child and adult)
• Spina bifida
• Congenital myopathies - congenital deformities (athrogryposis, club foot etc...)
• Morbus-Down syndrome and other syndromes - motor delays
• Various postural disorders (scoliosis, cyphosis)
• Hip dysplasies

There isn’t SMA in this list, well…but why one couldn’t try to find some useful ideas in this method. I called to a doctor who practices in my town (there aren’t many specialists, alas) and asked him to come for consultation. The exercises were very unusual. No way to do them without help. My uncle and sister helped me for couple of months…then strong dizziness has stopped me. My helpers were too busy and everything finished. But it works!


Mental exercises
Believe it or not but the visualization can actually strengthen muscles. Just thinking about exercise helps maintain muscle strength in better condition. Such technique is especially precious for those who has difficulty doing physical exercises. They can use mental training methods to improve the muscle strength they have lost or maintain the muscle strength they have.  By the way it’s a part of Dikul’s method, too. Just close your eyes and using your imagination rise your straight leg backwards. Do you feel the tension in your back? You see, it works. Use every free moment to move your ‘sleeping’ muscles. Help yourself!