Physiotherapy according to Voita is a special form of therapy in physiotherapy, named after its founder Vaclav Voita. It is mainly used to treat disorders of the central nervous system in children and adults, but can also be applied in many other areas. In some physiotherapy schools, the basics of therapy are also part of the training, but it is an independent, complex therapy concept for which professional experience and comprehensive further training is required.
What is physiotherapy according to Vojta?
Physiotherapy according to Vojta is about recalling physiological innate movement patterns. This means that movements that are stored in our central nervous system during development should be activated in order to reduce possible malfunctions of the nervous system. For example, spasticity is caused by excessive activity of the nervous system.
By reducing the activity, spasticity can be relieved by Vojta. Vojta therapy is aimed primarily at patients with neurological disorders. Originally it was developed for the treatment of children and is still a main focus in pediatric physiotherapy, but it is also used to treat adult patients.
Physiotherapy according to Vojta can have a direct influence on the central nervous system. One can activate muscles or, as described above, relax them, one can counteract certain movement patterns (e.g. typical movements of spasticity) and even influence breathing. The course of the therapy is always the same despite different effects.
The body reacts involuntarily to the irritation and in a physiological, i.e. functional healthy way. The patient cannot control the reaction. The effects of physiotherapy according to Vojta remain active for a certain period of time.
In order to achieve an optimal improvement of the present disorder, Vojta therapy according to its concept should be performed several times a day. Of course, this is difficult to achieve in the daily therapy routine and for adults it is usually always implemented in rehabilitation facilities – in pediatrics, the parents carry out the therapy at home. Physiotherapy according to Vojta plays an important role in the treatment and diagnostics of children.
Especially in the physiotherapeutic treatment of premature infants or children with developmental disorders of any kind, a lot of “Vojta gymnastics” is done. Physiotherapy according to Vojta serves, among other things, the treatment of children with infantile cerebral palsy, premature infants with too little or too much muscle tone (clubfoot), children with Down’s syndrome, children with spina bifida (open back) but also orthopedic clinical pictures such as postural asymmetries or a torticollis of babies and children are treated with Vojta. Developmental disorders or delays can be detected by certain diagnostic techniques, the so-called bearing atrials according to Vojta, and serve to identify and treat possible developmental disorders as early as possible.
In children, the nervous system is still developing. Great success can still be achieved by starting the therapy early and carrying it out regularly. Parents should always be instructed by their Vojta therapist on how the therapy should be done at home and how often.
Small children often react violently to the treatment after Vojta and cry out. Parents should be informed that Vojta therapy does not hurt or harm their children, but is strenuous and unfamiliar for babies and toddlers. The psychological aspect should always be considered.
Parents should carry out the therapy accurately and often at home, for this purpose they must fix their child in an uncomfortable position and bear the child’s protest. Sometimes the reaction of the children is so violent that another form of therapy should be considered. The relationship between child and parents should never be endangered by the therapy.
If the implementation of Vojta is too much of a strain, this should be seen as a contraindication to carrying out the therapy! Often physiotherapy according to Vojta accompanies children with chronic diseases throughout their lives. This can be strenuous and difficult for all involved.
Breaks in therapy and alternatives should be considered. However, a certain amount of perseverance and consistency is necessary for the treatment of developmental disorders and chronic disabilities or poor posture. Physiotherapy according to Vojta often shows good results directly after the treatment and improves the patients’ symptoms.
Physiotherapy according to Vojta is based on a very independent concept.The aim is to provoke a reaction in the organism by stimulating certain reflex zones. This reaction is involuntary and cannot be controlled by the patient, which is often alienating for patients at first. A reaction is not always visible from the outside.
Often the individual zones must first be “activated” to trigger a reaction. It can take the form of movements, a feeling of warmth, a deepening of breathing or a relaxation of the msuculature. Sometimes the consequences only become apparent when the patient leaves the therapy and resumes his usual movements.
Often the patients’ functional impairment is significantly improved. Physiotherapy according to Vojta is a very precise concept. The patient takes up a precisely defined position on an extra large therapy bench.
There is a multitude of defined positions. These are set by the Vojta therapist, i.e. the therapist helps the patient to assume the starting position if necessary. It is important for the success of the therapy to take up the positions as precisely as possible.
There are simple positions such as the first phase where the patient lies on his back, tilts his head to one side at a certain angle and simply stretches his arms and legs out beside him. More complicated is the position of reflex crawling. Here, the patient lies in a prone position, one leg drawn to the body, one arm next to the head, one stretched out backwards next to the body.
It may also be possible to secure certain initial positions with positioning material, e.g. pillows, therapy rolls, towels, etc. The therapist now stimulates precisely defined reflex zones by pressing with his fingers in a certain direction. These can be located, for example, on the heel, on the bony bumps of the knee, on the chest or on the shoulder blade.
The zones can be activated individually or several zones simultaneously. In some cases, the therapist moves and sprains almost more than the patient during physiotherapy according to Voita, so that he can reach all zones that are important for the success of the therapy. The pressure points are now kept simple for a certain time and the reaction is waited for.
The effect of Voita physiotherapy does not disappear immediately after the therapy, but remains active for a certain period of time. Therefore the therapy should be carried out several times a day to keep the healthy activity patterns active. Physiotherapy according to Voita should not be used if a doctor has expressly forbidden it or if the patient is suffering from acute inflammatory processes.
For example, after a feverish infection, a three-day therapy break should be taken. If the patient is prone to seizures, an alternative form of therapy should also be considered. However, the psychological aspect is also important. If children or parents are not able to process the therapy psychologically, this is also a reason to question the physiotherapy according to Voita!
