Schalow Coordination Dynamics Therapy Place

Tartu, Estonia

 

 

 

G. Schalow
Home Page

Address:

Coordination Dynamics Therapy Place Tartu
Tel: +3725276822   Email: Schalowou@hotmail.com
Chief Physiotherapist: Ivi Saaremets

Adviser: Prof. G. Schalow (Dr.med.habil., Dr.rer.nat., Dipl.Ing.), Tartu University, email: g_schalow@hotmail.com, home page: http://www.coordination-dynamics-therapy.com

 

An impression of the ‘Schalow Coordination Dynamics Therapy’ can be obtained from the  picture of the therapy place in Tallinn. The picture (Fig. 1) shows three patients with a spinal cord injury and one patient who suffered a severe brain injury (on the treadmill, when hit by a car at the age of 10 years) exercising assisted by two physiotherapists (enrolled in Master-level and doctoral studies at the Tartu University; classification according to the EU Bologna Agreement).

 Fig. 1.

Introduction

The ‘Schalow Coordination Dynamics Therapy’ is mainly an exercise-based therapy, developed based on measurements of the human central nervous system (CNS). This neurotherapy treatment according to Schalow derives from the theory that the self-organization of neuronal networks of the human CNS can be changed by learning. In an efficient therapy the progress can be that strong that one can speak of a partial cure. The repair by learning is mainly achieved by (1) Improving the coordinated firing of neurons in the human CNS (which is impaired following CNS injury), (2) Exercising movements deeply inbuilt in the CNS like automatisms and old-learned movements, and by (3) Exercising rhythmic dynamic stereotyped movements (like jumping on a spring-board) to repair the CNS injury at the assembly level. Premotor spinal oscillators are an example of such an ensemble of such a self-organizing group of nerve cells. Support by instruments and therapists is needed to get the patients into continued coordinated rhythmic dynamic stereotyped movements.

Since the human CNS is an open system it cannot be repaired by performing only one movement or activating only a single neuronal network state. Many coordinated rhythmic dynamic stereotyped movements have to be exercised. Since especially in spinal cord injury, functional reorganization of the CNS is not sufficient to achieve repair, new nerve cells and new connections are needed. The patients have to exercise at their limits (20 to 30 hours per week for at least 0.5 years) to induce naturally all repair mechanisms that are available, including the building of new nerve cells from stem cells. To get the new nerve cells to the appropriate functional network site, the neuronal networks have to be activated integratively, including those subnetworks which are damaged.

A partial cure of a CNS injury cannot be achieved by a pure cell application or pharmacotherapy to induce the building of new nerve cells, since the new nerve cells have to be positioned where they are functionally needed, they have to make connections to other nerve cells, and these new nerve cells have to work in coordination with the many existing neurons to take part in the physiologic CNS organization. Taking the example of a computer, it is obvious that one not only needs hardware but also software. More storage or faster processors are not enough for a better functioning of the computer, also the appropriate software is required. Properties of nerve cells, synapses, and membrane properties are part of the human CNS “hardware”. Little is known about the organization of the human CNS, the human CNS ‘software’. The ‘Schalow Coordination Dynamics Therapy’ improves the functional organization of the malfunctioning human CNS, i.e. the ‘software’ and the ‘hardware’ of the human CNS, via extensive ‘software’ use. The big advantage of the ‘human CNS computer’ over conventional computers is that its necessary “hardware” can be improved by excessive ‘software’ use.

With this method, the progress in CNS repair can be quantified by (1) measuring the improvement of movements like crawling, walking or running, (2) measuring the CNS functioning via the coordination dynamics parameter (arrhythmicity of coordinated arm and leg movements), (3) recording of motor programs electromyographically, (4) muscle performance testing, and by other means.

Fig. 2. Muscle performance testing according to Prof. Pääsuke in a spinal cord injury patient (Institute of Physiotherapy and Sport Sciences, Tartu University, Estonia). When the red lamp flashes, the patient has to extend the right leg as fast as possible. The reaction time (conductance through the spinal cord) and the dynamics of muscle force development are measured.

Fig. 3. Motor program registration with surface electromyography from a patient with an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury during crawling.

Fig. 4. Surface electromyography of the motor program of a former complete spinal cord injury patient sub Th10/12 when swinging on a springboard.

Fig. 5. Motor program electromyography from a patient during the jumping on a springboard. A therapist supports the movement to improve the motor program; Prof. Schalow is taking the EMG.

Fig. 6. Motor program electromyography from a patient with traumatic brain injury during running on a treadmill.

Fig. 7. Prof. Schalow teaches the ‘Schalow Coordination Dynamics Therapy’ at Tartu University (founded by King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden in 1632;  Between 1802 and 1918, the Tartu University was bearing the name of “Kaiserliche Universität zu Dorpat” (the reopening was confirmed by Alexander I). Demonstration of coordination dynamics measurements in a 70-year old patient with Parkinson’s disease.

Fig. 8. Picture of the city walls of the Hansa-town Reval (now Tallinn).

Fig. 9. Warehouses of the Hansa-town Reval, now hotel ‘The 3 sisters’.