Therapeutic exercise prescription; What is it and how does it work?
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What is it?​
The systematic performance of activities or movements that are designed to bridge the gap between current and desired function, remediate current or future impairments, minimise health-related risks - including physical and psychological well-being – and improve overall health and fitness levels (Anemaet & Hammerich, 2014). Exercise should be included in most physiotherapy interventions (Brody & Hall, 2011) but understanding when and which exercises to prescribe can be difficult.
How does it work?
Exercise is considered a physiological stressor which ultimately drives adaptation through the process of regaining homeostasis (Selye, 1978) and is suggested to promote tissue repair through mechanotransduction. This is the process by which the body converts mechanical loading into cellular responses, encouraging structural change (Khan & Scott, 2009). However, it requires sufficient mechanical and neural stimulus to the appropriate body systems or tissues to maximise physiological adaptation without causing tissue injury or death (Glasgow, Phillips, & Bleakley, 2015).