Some conditions affect the nerves and muscles, making them unable to function properly together. These neuromuscular conditions can be genetic or result from accidents, infections, or diseases that sometimes degenerate. When this happens, the exchange of signals between the brain, nerves, and muscles weakens.
To prevent further deterioration, those with neuromuscular damage often engage in several therapeutic exercises to improve balance, coordination, and mobility. Keep reading to discover five exercises that promote muscle strength and movement control.
Range of Motion Activities
Not all conditions that affect nerves and muscles are curable, but with personalized exercises, physiotherapists can help their patients function as efficiently as possible. To achieve this, they embark on long-term physical rehabilitation plans, often involving activities that help limit joint stiffness.
Range-of-motion exercises involve gentle, controlled movements that help joints move through their full range of motion. You can perform them on your own or with physical assistance. With consistent practice, you’ll experience less discomfort as you rotate, turn, bend, and straighten your joints.
Gentle Stretching
Nerves and muscles contract and shrink with infrequent use, making movement painful and uncomfortable. Even if you can’t fully use the affected body parts, it’s advisable to perform regular stretches targeting joints prone to issues like contracture.
Stretching exercises are typically slow and require you to hold certain poses or postures for some seconds or a minute. They aren’t painful, but might cause a bit of discomfort initially. With subsequent attempts, you’ll get used to the feeling as your muscles and tendons regain flexibility.
Strength Training Workouts
Through strength training, you can keep your muscles active even when the signals from your nerves are weak. Using controlled resistance, these exercises slow down muscle loss. Depending on your ability and fitness level, you can use resistance bands or light weights to engage your nerves and muscles.
Over time, strength training can improve performance in daily activities such as walking, standing, and carrying objects. Other benefits of resistance-based strength training include improved responsiveness and stability. However, be careful not to overexert yourself, as this can lead to muscle strain and stress.
Endurance Training
Steady-paced movement routines, slow walking, gentle swimming, and other similar activities help to improve stamina. This way, the body can sustain movement without becoming easily fatigued.
Since endurance-building activities are often low-intensity cardio, they support blood circulation, improve energy levels, and limit strain on weaker muscles. They also include hormone-safe exercises that help prevent frequent burnout.
Coordination Exercises
The muscle must translate signals from the nervous system to enable movement. Hence, coordination workouts are necessary for managing conditions such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which can cause unsteady limb movement.
Most movement coordination exercises revolve around simple activities that require you to follow specific patterns. Repetition and constant practice trigger muscle memory and strengthen neural pathways. Ultimately, this results in better timing, accuracy, and precision of movement.
Endnote
Physical therapy is one of the major treatment approaches doctors recommend for patients with neuromuscular disorders. This therapy usually includes several categories of exercises, including range-of-motion, stretching, strength, endurance, and coordination training and workouts. With regulated intensity and guided support, these therapies yield impressive results.