September, 1961 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page 5

Physiotherapy in the Treatment of Rheumatic Fever 
in Children

B y M iss A. M. B O D O A N O , M.C.S.P.

In most children’s hospitals and in the children’s wards of 
G eneral H ospitals, there are usually a n u m b e r o f cases of 
R heum atic Fever and depending on the Physician in charge 
these may or m ay not be referred for Physiotherapy treat­
ment.

The aims o f physical treatm ent are to restore the child to 
normal activity and to  prevent the disabilities and deformities 

klikely to arise as the result o f the debilitating effect o f this 
"condition.

In former days children were often confined to bed rest 
and complete inactivity up to three o r six m onths or longer 
and during this time started on a slowly progressive cardiac 
table of exercises. Because o f the cardiac involvement a too 
rapid or too vigorous progression could lead to increase o f 
symptoms such as a rising tem perature and heartbeat.

With the recent introduction o f m odern medical treat­
ments it no longer seems to be the general practice for cases 
to be confined to  bed for such long periods, six weeks in 
bed but not complete restriction o f activity seems to be the 
more usual procedure and fo r this reason there is less need 
and therefore less dem and for Physiotherapy treatm ent.

Even so a child whose health is below par, who has been 
o r is suffering from  a debilitating condition, who is to a 
variable extent restricted in activity, is likely to show a p o o r 
respiratory excursion and weak m usculature and is liable 
to develop postural deformities.

M ost cases would benefit when in hospital and if necessary 
afterw ards by simple postural training such as, positioning 
in bed and a t rest, breathing exercises, and some simple 
m aintenance exercises fo r all muscle groups b u t particularly 
for the intrinsic muscles o f the feet and the postural muscles. 
M any cases are kept under observation for years following 
the acute stage o f the disease, bu t generally the medical 
practitioner is m ore concerned with the p atient’s health 
than with his posture and general physique, postural 
deformities m ay be overlooked.

Every Physiotherapy D epartm ent has its q u o ta o f idio­
pathic scoliosis, it would be interesting to know  the num ber 
o f diagnosed and undiagnosed cases of R heum atic Fever 
in these and other patients with postural deformities.

SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF COURSE O N  THERAPEUTIC MOVEMENT 

6th and 7th October, 1961

D epartm ent o f Physiotherapy—University o f Cape Town

Sessions Conducted by
Friday. 6th O ctober a.m. Physiology o f M ovem ent ' D epartm ent of Physiology.

p.m. The Im portance o f Therapeutic Professor Allen.
Movem ent

Introduction to some aspects o f Miss M. H . S. R oper.
T herapeutic M ovem ents:
(a) Teaching
(b) Classification
(c) M edia

Saturday, 7th O ctober, a.m. D em onstrations o f Therapeutic Staff o f D epartm ent o f Physiotherapy and
M ovem ent: Teaching H ospital G roup.
(a) G roup
(,b) W ater Mr. K . Nicol.
(c) M echanical aids

p.m. Symposium on Proprioceptive N euro- 3-4 Physiotherapists,
muscular F acilitation Techniques

Discussion All lecturers and dem onstrators.

APPLICATIONS: Post Registration Course, c/o 8 Clee Road, Observatory, Cape.

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