Pediatric neurological rehabilitation

About the department

The Department of Pediatric Neurological and Orthopedic Rehabilitation at the Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic Kinder-Reha Schweiz Affoltern am Albis offers high-quality medical care in its areas of specialization. The medical facility provides rehabilitation for children and adolescents with congenital and acquired diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, and musculoskeletal system, as well as after neurosurgical and orthopedic surgical procedures. The department offers rehabilitation programs to young patients aged 0 to 18 years. Each clinical case is unique, so the individual needs of the young patient are taken into account when developing a rehabilitation program. The department's rehabilitation therapists have many years of experience in the fields of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, sports therapy, speech therapy, and animal-assisted therapy. The department has facilities with advanced rehabilitation simulators, with the help of which children can successfully restore fine and gross motor skills and have gait training. Children have training on simulators such as Amadeo, Armeo Spring, Armeo Senso, Diego, Myro, Rapael, Xbox Adaptive Controller, Andago, Lokomat, Erigo, and RYSEN. The use of this type of equipment during rehabilitation allows for the achievement of incredible results: children with particularly complex pathologies and injuries get back on their feet and return to a full life. The department also has a special laboratory with equipment for gait analysis. This examination plays an important role in developing a rehabilitation program for children with neurological disorders. The department's rehabilitation therapists are among the best in Switzerland and throughout Europe, as evidenced by the excellent results of their clinical practice. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Meyer-Heim.

The department has a highly qualified team of physiotherapists, whose task is to restore the child's motor function and give him or her a chance to lead a full life without any restrictions. Physiotherapy is an integral part of the rehabilitation program for children with orthopedic and neurological diseases, as well as for young patients who have undergone surgical procedures on the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system. In most cases, at the stage of treatment planning, the department's doctors conduct a comprehensive analysis of motor function (there is a special laboratory for this purpose), on the basis of which they assess the complexity of the clinical case and the child's rehabilitation potential, as well as determine the specific goals of the upcoming course of therapy. The department's pediatric rehabilitation therapists have a perfect command of all modern treatment methods, including Bobath concept, Vojta therapy, hydrotherapy, adaptive rock climbing, the Castillo Morales approach, and Kinesio taping technique. Treatment can be provided on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on the complexity of the clinical case and the intensity of the rehabilitation program.

The department keeps pace with innovations in rehabilitation medicine, so there are facilities with professional robotic simulators. Training on simulators is highly effective when it comes to restoring motor skills of the upper and lower extremities and restoring gait. The medical facility offers training on the following robotic simulators: Amadeo, Armeo Spring, Armeo Senso, Diego, Myro, Rapael, Xbox Adaptive Controller, Andago, Lokomat, Erigo, and RYSEN. During the training, the rehabilitation therapist is next to the child and personally monitors the therapeutic process. Rehabilitation using robotics can be performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis.

The department also offers occupational therapy, the essence of which is the development, restoration, and/or maintenance of everyday skills necessary for the child's independence in everyday life. The course of occupational therapy is developed on an individual basis. As a result of the treatment, the child will be able to develop or restore sensorimotor skills and social skills and solve everyday problems independently (for example, personal hygiene, dressing, undressing, putting toys in the box, etc.). During occupational therapy, the specialists also work on the restoration of fine motor skills and the cognitive development of the child.

Some neurological disorders cause problems with speech, voice, and swallowing. For young patients with similar problems, the department offers speech therapy. The medical facility offers individual sessions with a speech therapist. Specialists conduct training with the use of visual aids, didactic games, computer games, and other means.

The department offers the following rehabilitation activities:

• Bobath concept
• Vojta therapy
• Breathing exercises
• Hydrotherapy
• Adaptive rock climbing
• Castillo Morales approach 
• Functional electrical stimulation
• Kinesio taping technique
• Training on rehabilitation simulators
  • Training on the following simulators to restore fine and gross motor skills of the hands and arms: Amadeo, Armeo Spring, ArmeoSenso, Diego, Myro, Rapael, and Xbox Adaptive Controller
  • Training on the following simulators to restore motor skills of the lower extremities: Andago, Erigo, Lokomat, and RYSEN
• Occupational therapy
• Sensory integration therapy
• Sports therapy
• Speech therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Hippotherapy
• Art therapy
• Other rehabilitation methods