The exercises performed in Perthes disease are very important because they help maintain the mobility of the joint. Regular exercise can maintain the activity of muscles, tendons and ligaments, thus stimulating the metabolism of the joint and accelerating regeneration. Depending on the patient and the stage of the disease, the individual exercises can vary, so that the training plan can be designed individually for each patient. Many of the exercises can be easily performed at home after initial demonstration by an experienced therapist, so that a continuous therapy program is guaranteed.
Exercises for existing Perthes disease
In the case of Perthes disease, during treatment in physiotherapy, patient-specific therapy plans are also drawn up, which contain exercises that can be performed at home. In some cases, the exercises can also include active help from the parents of the affected child. 1) In this exercise the child lies on his or her back and puts both feet up.
Now the affected leg is stretched out and the foot is moved outwards. A variation of this exercise is that from this position the leg is pulled halfway again. 2) Again, the child lies on its back.
The affected leg is held in the air at a 90° angle. Now one parent applies light pressure from the outside on the leg that the child is to stand up to so that the leg does not move. 3) Here the child lies on the healthy side.
Now the affected leg is lifted at an angle. This position is held as long as possible. 4) During this exercise the child stands on the healthy leg.
For support, the child can lean against a wall or the edge of a table. Now the affected leg is moved in front of the body past the foot of the other leg so that the legs cross over each other. From this position the leg is then led outwards as far as possible.
This motion sequence is repeated 10 times. 5) In this exercise the child lies on its back. The legs are stretched out loosely.
Now one parent grasps the knee above and below with his hands. The leg is now gently turned inwards and outwards. At the same time, the tense muscles can be gently massaged.
6) During this exercise the child is in a supine position. The healthy leg hangs loosely from the edge of the table at knee level. The affected leg is bent and is now gently pressed towards the chest while the healthy leg is held down.
7) The child is in the four-footed position. The affected leg is angled upwards and is now being guided towards the ceiling. Make sure that the hip does not sag during the exercise.
8) Another exercise in the figurative sense is the use of a traction device that helps stretch and capsule mobilize the hip. Children should spend at least 20 minutes a day doing this exercise. Further exercises for the hip can be found on the following pages:
- Hip exercises
- Mobilization exercises hip
- Physiotherapy Perthes disease
- Hip stretching exercises
