Obesity rehabilitation

Excessive deposition of adipose tissue in the body due to disorders associated with metabolic processes is referred to as "obesity". Modern medicine classifies this condition as a dangerous disease, potentially leading to the development of concomitant diseases of the heart, musculoskeletal system, kidneys, reproductive organs and malignant tumors. Given the seriousness of possible complications, timely rehabilitation for obesity can save the patient's life.

The danger of obesity

To determine the development of obesity, modern experts use such an indicator as body mass index. To calculate BMI, it is necessary to divide the patient's body weight by its length, squared. For example, with a height of 175 centimeters and a weight of 80 kilograms, the body mass index will correspond to the following indicator: 80 / 1.75 ² = 26,12.

To understand what this indicator means, it is necessary to correlate it with generally accepted BMI standards and their corresponding degrees of obesity. The current classification is as follows:

1. A BMI in the range of 20 to 24.9 kg/m2 ^is considered normal and indicates no problem.
2. With an index of 25.0 - 29.9 kg / m ² , the first degree of obesity (medium obesity) is diagnosed.
3. BMI at the level of 30 - 39.9 kg / m ² allows you to assign the patient a second degree of obesity.
4. An index above 40 kg / m ² indicates serious problems with being overweight.

In order to avoid complications, therapy is required already at the first degree of obesity. 2nd and 3rd degrees pose a serious danger to the body and health of a citizen. If action is not taken, the following consequences are possible:

1. The development of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
2. Disturbances in the secretion of hormones, the work of the thyroid gland.
3. Defects of the genitourinary system.
4. Atherosclerotic changes in the vessels.
5. Increased risk of heart attack, stroke.
6. The possibility of the appearance of malignant tumors that form in epithelial cells.

You can identify the problem (except for visual signs) by excessive drowsiness, shortness of breath with little physical exertion, swelling in the joints, and the presence of pain. The average age of life of people suffering from obesity, as a rule, is 10 years less than in the case of citizens who do not have such a problem.

Given all of the above, it is important to detect the problem in a timely manner and begin therapy before the development of serious, chronic diseases. Comprehensive recovery will allow you to get rid of obesity, avoid negative consequences and live a longer, happier life.

Measures taken for the rehabilitation of obese patients

Treating obesity is difficult. This is a time-consuming and lengthy process involving specialists from different fields (nutritionists, psychologists, physiotherapists, and in some cases surgeons). Based on the characteristics of the body and the patient's condition, an individual rehabilitation plan for the patient with obesity is developed. The main goal of the procedure is to create a negative energy balance in the human body. Simply put, the patient must spend more energy than he receives.

This goal is achieved in two ways:

1. Intensification of the patient's physical activity to use more energy (active physical exercises under the supervision of a specialist)
2. Reducing the energy value of food (diet food).

Quite often, obesity is accompanied or caused by concomitant pathologies. In some cases, they make it impossible to diet or exercise. Therefore, the therapeutic methods necessary for the treatment of these pathologies are also applied. With a strong severity of the problem (severe obesity), as well as the impossibility of solving it with standard methods, surgical intervention (fat aspiration, gastric resection, etc.) can be used.

An important aspect of rehabilitation is psychotherapy. Getting rid of excess weight is a lengthy procedure that requires the patient not only to make significant efforts, but also to change his lifestyle, maintain motivation at the proper level. Therefore, a professional psychologist works with a person suffering from obesity.

Physical activity

Therapeutic exercise is one of the most important areas of obesity therapy. Active exercises allow not only to achieve increased energy consumption, but also to strengthen the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system. One of the most important effects of rehabilitation is blocking the process of fat deposition.

Despite all the benefits of physiotherapy exercises, specific sets of exercises are prescribed by a specialist after analyzing the state of the patient's body. You can not choose the training mode yourself. This can worsen the situation and cause serious complications. As a rule, the process of attracting a patient to physical activity occurs in two stages:

1. Adaptation of the body to physical stress. For patients with obesity, the nature of low physical activity. At this stage, the main goal is to prepare the human body for constant sports loads. Another task is to develop the patient's habit of playing sports. First, light gymnastics (for example, walking) is used for this. Gradually, heavier exercises are introduced, the load increases.
2. Consolidation of results. At this stage, the transition to more serious training is carried out. As a rule, the patient can independently choose the most liked sets of exercises and sports. Among the possible options: swimming, cycling, work on simulators.

With a satisfactory state of human health, as well as in the case of the development of the early stages of obesity, you can immediately proceed to intensive exercises. The standard practice is up to 3 workouts per week lasting from 20 to 40 minutes without breaks. In the presence of violations from the CCC, the procedures should be accompanied by monitoring the patient's heart rate. In special cases, a heart monitor is used.

During physical rehabilitation for obesity, attention is drawn to the activity of the patient in everyday life. For example, instead of using public transport, it is recommended to walk more often (when possible), avoid using the elevator (when living on the first floors). Another important nuance regarding physical activity is that they should be accompanied by conveying information to the patient about the importance of diet in order to achieve good results.

Diet food

Sports will be ineffective (or completely useless) if the patient does not adhere to a diet. This is one of the most important parts of rehabilitation. The goal of diet therapy is to correct the diet and diet of the patient in such a way as to reduce the energy value of the food consumed, without creating stressful situations for the body.

The best choice in this situation is diet number 8. It provides for the use of no more than 120 grams of carbohydrates, 130 grams of protein, 90 grams of fat during the day. The total energy value of food should not exceed 1,800 kcal per day. The power supply scheme is also subject to correction. The recommended number of meals per day is from 4 to 6. The meals consumed should contain a large amount of fiber. Since dieting is fraught with a limited intake of vitamins in the body, vitamin complexes are additionally prescribed.

The patient should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Refrain from drinking alcohol, smoking.
2. Limit salt intake (no more than 3 grams per day).
3. Avoid snacking and eating after 7pm.
4. Exclude fatty, starchy, spicy foods from the diet.
5. Saturate the diet with vegetables, fruits and seafood.

Important in dietary nutrition are two nuances. Firstly, at first there may be a sharp decrease in mass, which will gradually slow down. Secondly, when choosing a diet, it is also necessary to take into account the preferences of the patient, who will have to adhere to the diet for many years.

Restorative massage

The third element of rehabilitation is massage. It helps to get rid of fatty deposits, prevents the appearance of new ones, and tones the body. In obesity, massage is prescribed to:

1. Strengthen the muscles of the back, the press.
2. Normalize the functionality of internal organs.
3. Increase physical performance.
4. Improve blood circulation.

The massage technique depends on the specific case. Although vacuum techniques give good results in obesity, specific procedures are prescribed individually. One of the most popular schemes includes the following techniques:

1. Kneading muscles, fat layers. There is an erroneous opinion among the population, according to which the technique is aimed at eliminating fat through direct action. In fact, the task of the massage therapist is to activate the metabolism in the massage area, which has a positive effect on the process of fat breakdown.
2. Suction technique in the limbs. Additional equipment. It is used in the event that obesity is accompanied by pastosity and swelling of the legs and arms. Since this condition is typical for obese patients, it is used quite often.
3. Shaking of limbs and abdomen. Usually performed at the final stage of the massage. Accompanied by passive movements in the area of ​​the joints of the limbs.

The intensity of the procedure increases gradually. This is especially true for the elderly and people in whom obesity is accompanied by significant impairment of the body. The first sessions last no more than 20 minutes. Gradually, the duration of the massage increases to 60 minutes. The frequency of the procedure is up to 2 times a week. The number of sessions is determined individually, depending on the person's reaction to massage, the degree of development of the disease.

It should be noted that with severe obesity, massage is used less often. This is due to its low effectiveness, especially among women. You also need to pay attention to the fact that in order to obtain a result, it is necessary to use previous methods of rehabilitation. You can lose weight only with an integrated approach, when massage is accompanied by physical activity and proper nutrition.

Psychological support

To solve the problem, the patient needs to change his own lifestyle, start actively playing sports, adjust his diet, and limit himself in many areas. It is quite difficult to do this, especially if a person has not changed anything in his life for many years. Due to the difficulties that arise on the way to the goal, many patients lose motivation, are disappointed, cease to believe in the possibility of change. To avoid this, a psychologist should work with a person.

In some cases, psychotherapists are involved in the rehabilitation of patients with obesity. This is especially true for citizens suffering from obesity of the second degree. Such patients may develop anxiety disorders, phobias, often the result of poor social adaptation. It should also be taken into account that obesity itself can also be the result of psychological problems. Therefore, it is important to eliminate the initial cause of the development of the disease.

For psychological rehabilitation are often used:

1. Hypnosis sessions.
2. Antidepressants that do not affect body weight (Bupropion, Prozac).

Psychotherapy will allow the patient to more easily cope with dietary changes, including through getting rid of food addiction, and will also have a general calming effect on the patient.

Additional methods of rehabilitation

The main methods of rehabilitation of people with obesity are described above. Physical exercise and proper nutrition, in combination with massage sessions, as well as psychological support, will help to achieve a stable result. However, they are not always enough. In such cases, additional methods may be used:

1. Medications. They are rarely used due to low efficiency and a large number of adverse reactions.
2. Operational intervention. The surgical method of influencing the patient's weight is used in case of low efficiency of conservative methods of therapy, as well as the development of serious concomitant diseases (for example, diabetes mellitus). At risk are citizens whose body mass index exceeds 40 kg / m ².
3. Physiotherapy. Hydrotherapy, treatment with dry air and steam procedures, contrast, mud baths have proven themselves well. The reason for the limited use of physiotherapy is that it is effective only at the initial stage of obesity. With the aggravation of the disease, the procedures become ineffective.
4. Acupuncture (both corporal and auricular).

Thus, physiotherapy exercises, special diets, massage sessions and psychotherapy are used for the rehabilitation of obese people. Together, these measures make it possible to solve the problem of excess weight and maintain the health of the patient. In some cases, you have to resort to additional methods, such as: surgery, pharmaco- and physiotherapy, acupuncture. Recovery from obesity is a complex and time-consuming process, but with due effort, it can save the patient's life.