Health apps for optimal recovery
Rehabilitation after an injury is essential for helping individuals regain mobility, strength, and well-being.
Traditionally, rehabilitation was mainly carried out under the supervision of a healthcare professional, such as a physiotherapist or physical therapist. However, with the advent of digital technologies, more and more health apps dedicated to rehabilitation have emerged.
In this article, we'll explore the topic of apps for post-injury rehabilitation.
What are common sports injuries, and how can rehab help treat them?
Common sports injuries can include sprains, strains, tendonitis, fractures, and muscle tears.
Rehabilitation plays an essential role in treating these injuries, helping to restore the body's strength, flexibility, and functionality. It often involves specific exercises, manual therapy techniques, and personalized follow-up to promote healing and prevent long-term complications.
What role do health apps play in post-injury rehabilitation?
Health apps for rehabilitation offer advantages such as accessibility, personalized follow-up, and a variety of adapted exercises. However, they cannot replace medical expertise and should be used to complement the care provided by healthcare professionals. Let's take a look at their key benefits:
Greater accessibility: One of the main advantages of rehab apps is their accessibility. Unlike traditional rehab sessions, which require regular trips to a healthcare professional's office, apps can be used from anywhere at any time. This enables patients to follow their rehabilitation program at home, adapting sessions to their busy schedules.
Personalized follow-up: Rehab apps often offer personalized follow-up functionalities. These applications can measure and record patient progress thanks to sensors integrated into smartphones or specific accessories. This enables users to track their progress over time, set goals, and stay motivated during rehabilitation.
Variety of exercises: Rehabilitation applications generally offer a wide range of exercises adapted to different injuries or pathologies. These exercises are often accompanied by videos, images, or detailed instructions to guide patients through their execution. Moreover, some apps use augmented reality or virtual reality techniques to make exercises more immersive and engaging.
How can rehab apps help prevent relapses and promote optimal recovery?
Rehab apps can help prevent relapses by offering continuous monitoring, encouraging consistency in exercise, and providing tailored advice at every stage of rehabilitation. Thanks to their personalized follow-up, they enable patients to maintain their motivation, track their progress, and adjust their program according to their needs. This promotes optimal recovery by minimizing the risk of recurrence and ensuring progressive reinforcement of physical capacities.
Literature review: The effectiveness of mobile applications in rehabilitation: studies and results
A study published in 2022 to assess the effectiveness of a modified, validated rehabilitation regimen for functional rehabilitation of the lower limbs in patients with ankle fractures involved the use of mobile applications. (1) These were introduced to monitor and optimize the rehabilitation process, in collaboration with physiotherapists. The results show reduced swelling and pain, and improved muscular balance, stability, gait and quality of life for patients. Although some residual deficit remains, the use of mobile applications optimizes the recovery process and facilitates access to rehabilitation.
Let's take a look at some of the apps available on the market.
These apps offer a variety of features to support patients in their recovery process, providing specific exercises, personalized follow-up and tailored advice. Whether you're looking to strengthen your mobility, improve your flexibility or gradually resume your physical activities, these apps can be invaluable tools to help you in your rehabilitation.
movr is a personal training application focused on flexibility, strength and overall fitness. It offers short training sessions tailored to your needs, with no equipment required. With achievable goals and personalized follow-up, movr helps you improve your movement, flexibility and physical well-being daily.
moveUP is a comprehensive rehabilitation method developed for patients following hip or knee replacement surgery. The moveUP application guides you at home with a team of physiotherapists and doctors in close contact with your GP and the hospital. It monitors your progress, suggests suitable daily exercises and enables direct communication with your care team. With moveUP, you can rehabilitate from home under the supervision of a specialized rehabilitation team.
FitCam is a fitness app that offers personalized programs to help you develop a healthy, pain-free body. With the help of its AI-based physical activity guide and team of health coaches and physiotherapists, FitCam supports you in Improving your posture, flexibility and strength.
A new horizon for rehabilitation: health apps for your recovery
Rehabilitation after injury plays an essential role in restoring mobility, strength and well-being. Health apps dedicated to rehabilitation offer advantages such as accessibility, personalized follow-up and a variety of adapted exercises. However, it's important to stress that these apps should be used as a complement to care provided by healthcare professionals. Apps such as movr, moveUP and FitCam are just a few examples of apps that can be valuable tools to support patients in their recovery process and help them achieve their musculoskeletal health goals.
References
Kasnakova, P., Mihaylova, A., Djurdjev, B., & Tornyova, B. (2022). Randomized controlled trial of multidisciplinary rehabilitation therapy using mobile applications in cases of ankle fractures. European Journal of Translational Myology, 32(2).
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