Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT)
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness or disease. Please talk with your primary health care provider prior to starting any new exercise program, including yoga.
As I was taking a continuing education course on NDT strategies, I realized that there are several interesting overlaps between Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) and the practice of yoga. Neuro-Developmental Treatment, often referred to simply as NDT, is a holistic and “hands-on” treatment approach utilized by occupational therapists that leverages the brain’s remarkable ability to change and reorganize. This method aims to promote motor recovery and improve functional movement, particularly for stroke patients, by enhancing their motor control and coordination through therapeutic techniques and activities.
One intervention occupational therapists utilize to promote increased functional mobility including prone to standing include the neurodevelopment sequence. The neurodevelopmental sequence is the normal movement progression that allow for functional mobility.
Both NDT and yoga are holistic treatment methods facilitating postural control, alignment, upper extremity movement, balance, and functional mobility including prone to standing and sit to stand.
The neurodevelopmental sequence shows similarities with a yoga sun salutation in the sequencing and functional benefits of the postures. The image below, compares both sequences of the neurodevelopmental sequence and a yoga sequence, also called Sun Salutation.
For more information about NDT principles, you can access the continuing education self-paced course at https://www.aspireoted.com/course/tnota-ndt-treatment
*Adapt Neuro Flow is not affiliated with Aspire OT
References:
Fujino, Y., Amimoto, K., Sugimoto, S., Fukata, K., Inoue, M., Takahashi, H., & Makita, S. (2016). Prone positioning reduces severe pushing behavior: three case studies. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(9), 2690–2693. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.2690
Pollock, A., Baer, G., Campbell, P., Choo, P. L., Forster, A., Morris, J., Pomeroy, V. M., & Langhorne, P. (2014). Physical rehabilitation approaches for the recovery of function and mobility following stroke. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2014(4), CD001920. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001920.pub3