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22
DOI: 10.14526/2070-4798-2020-15-4-101-108 Wind tunnel as the means of remedial gymnastics
Dmitriy V. Sandakov', Natalya V. Sandakova2, Mikhail V. Shamshurin3*
'Institute of Family, Educational and Juridical programs Moscow, Russia ORCID: 0000-0002-2162-5718, nevronet@rambler.ru 2Private entrepreneur Moscow, Russia ORCID: 0000-0001-5840-6976, sandakov.rocktape@yandex.ru 3IzhFly Park Ltd., Izhevsk, Russia ORCID: 0000-000'-7408-60'X, 4way-tat@mail.ru*
Abstract: Several years ago wind tunnel as a kind of sports training was exotic and not readily available. Wind tunnels are used as entertainment, for athletes-skydivers training and for military men training. Every year wind tunnel becomes more and more available. Interesting observations over the changes in health state of people. They experienced the effect of free fly, not only considerably broaden wind tunnel use for additional emotions, professional skills improvement among athletes in different spheres. We understand that it becomes the method of remedial gymnastics (RG) and nowadays is often included into the list of the recommended rehabilitation procedures. Materials. The influence of the lessons in wind tunnel on an organism of a person. Research methods. Analyzing and summarizing information sources and experience of specialists. They use wind tunnel as rehabilitation means. Results. The article considers physical and physiological processes, caused by the influence of laminar air flow on a person. It helps to substantiate the introduction of lessons in wind tunnel into the system of rehabilitation of people with different diseases (first of all with motor disorders); medical contraindications and stress factors. A person goes through them during the fly in a wind tunnel. We described the directions of the establishments work. They actively introduce this method into medical practice and also recommendations concerning this method use in rehabilitation. Conclusion. Flying in a wind tunnel as the means of rehabilitation should be considered by professional medical society.
Keywords: a wind tunnel, rehabilitation, infant cerebral palsy.
For citation: Dmitriy V. Sandakov, Natalya V. Sandakova, Mikhail V. Shamshurin*. Wind tunnel as the means of remedial gymnastics. Russian Journal of Physical Education and Sport. 2020; 15(4): 83-88. DOI: 10.14526/2070-4798-2020-15-4-101-108
INTRODUCTION
Several years ago wind tunnel as a kind of sports training was exotic and not readily available. Wind tunnels are used as entertainment, for athletes-skydivers training and for military men training. Wind tunnel is very often advertised as a perfect thing for those, who want to jump with parachute, experience the sense of free fly. But they have fear of heights. Nowadays the situation changes.
Every year wind tunnel becomes more and more available. Interesting observations over the changes in health state of people. They experienced the effect of free fly, not only considerably broaden wind tunnel use for additional emotions, professional skills improvement among athletes in
different spheres. Wind tunnel also becomes the method of remedial gymnastics (RG) and nowadays is often included into the list of the recommended rehabilitation procedures. Such kind of practice demands professional support of medicine. Owing to a unique influence of laminar air flow on an organism equally unique effects are revealed:
• muscle tone and motor functions change;
• oculomotor reactions and eyesight
change;
• psychic and gnostic functions improvement;
• health state improvement among the patients with some orthopedic diagnoses.
This is not a full list of medical disciplines, which are interested in using lessons in wind tunnel.
Nowadays several regions of this country effectively introduce this method into medical practice. For example:
1) Saint-Petersburg (aircomplex Flystation, M. Ivanov, Russia);
biggest wind tunnels in Europe (diameter of flight zone 5 m) provide a huge spectrum of methodical techniques use. They are difficult to use in wind tunnels of less diameter.
2) Izhevsk (the project of parachuting Federation of the Republic of Udmurtia "Flight of a crane", M. Shamshurin, D. Isakova, Russia). At the beginning of 2020 the team of the project carried out a research work connected with the influence of lessons in wind tunnel on health state change in children with infant cerebral palsy (ICP).The results were significant and further project development was with the support of Presidential grants Fund and regional charity funds. Nowadays more than 50 children with ICP, autism and other disorders take part in "Flight of a crane" project;
3) Gudermes (aircomplex Goodsky, A. Rudnev, M. Lemeshenok and others, Russia). Special attention should be paid to the lessons in Gudermes. There a separate direction was formed. It included professional selection of people for rehabilitation and professional accompaniment by the team of specialists (rehabilitation specialist, psychologist, logopedist, defectologist and others). Of course, such kind of an approach should be popularized and introduced into practice. Lessons in one of the
Many instructors of wind tunnels from different towns of Russia attended author's courses of neurologist-rehabilitation specialist Dmitri Sandakov in terms of "Babybodyflight" program, topic "Lessons in a wind tunnel with ICP children".
The reaction of a body in an air flow of a vertical aerodynamic tunnel is similar to the reaction of a body in case of terminal speed achievement during parachute jump. Even a new term "bodyflight" appeared. As in case of generally adopted term we offer to call flights with children "Babybodyflight".
Wind tunnel is a technical device. It is used for modeling environment influence on moving in it bodies and things. Tunnels use in aerodynamics is based on the principle of movements reversibility and theory of physical phenomena similarity [6,7].
Vertical wind tunnel is a modern sports training simulator, where air moves vertically up. In particular it helps to simulate free fall during parachute jump [7,8,9].
The average speed of a flow in tunnels is from 190 to 260 km/h, minimal speed of a flow for lifting an adult in "ammunition" is approximately 130 km/h. Operator, who controls the flying zone, can timely regulate the speed of the flow [6,10,11]
The flow pressure increases in proportion
to flow speed square. The difference in speed of the
heaviest and the lightest people "falling" is not more
than 20-30 km/h. Such difference in speed can be
easily balanced with clothes and a pose in a flow [6].
Almost all people can fly in a wind tunnel.
Nowadays most wind tunnels have considerable
restrictions: age under 4 and weight more than 125
kg. However, if we have necessary equipment age
restriction can be avoided [6].
The following medical contraindication
should be taken into consideration:
new injuries of locomotor apparatus (dislocations,
sprains, fractures), dislocation of the shoulder
joint;
pacemaker, heart attack and other serious cardiac diseases;
systems;
pregnancy;
decompensation of any organs and epilepsy;
viral diseases and other infections.
These and other health criteria are included into flight application in any wind tunnel.
Studying physical and physiological processes, caused by the influence of a laminar air flow on a person, helps to substantiate the introduction of lessons in a wind tunnel into the system of rehabilitation in people with different diseases (first of all people with motor disorders).
Lessons in a wind tunnel should be
considered as a non-specific factor of influence on a person. In this aspect flight in a wind tunnel can be a stress factor. Stress is a non-specific reaction of an organism to any demand claimed on it [1].
Stress factors in a wind tunnel are moderate and can't cause organism systems exhaustion.
Stress factors, which a person can experience during the flight in a wind tunnel, are the following:
• even and symmetric air pressure;
psychic-emotional irritation (including fear of flight and acrophobia): difficult physical loads; vestibular load;
flights repeatability and rhythmicity: oculomotor reactions stimulation; climate change (individual factor).
Nature gave us many mechanisms. They help to survive. When a conflict situation (situation demands quick reaction) appears, they start to work. It happens regardless of our will and we can't control this process. Very often we even don't know about these mechanisms. These mechanisms include the following:
1) neuro-humoral reaction
Free flight is an unknown state for an organism. In order to adapt to it organism activates difficult mechanisms. With the brain impulse adrenaline is thrown into blood flow and heart starts to beat quicker; blood pressure and sugar in blood increase. Blood stream is redistributed: blood inflow into the brain and extremities increases and at the same time it decreases into digestive organs and skin. Respiration becomes more frequent and shallow. Fat and sugar reserves start are actively used providing additional energy. All these changes, which very often are not even realized by us, happen in order to give muscles oxygen and nutrients. It helps to realize maximal muscle effort - to make a stronger strike or to run quicker [5].
Also neuro-hormones of pleasure are produced [1].
2) vestibular training
Vestibular apparatus provides orientation in space. Its main organ is a vestibular analyzer. It includes three filled with liquid semicircular
channels in inner ear cavity. Semicircular channels are situated in three almost perpendicular surfaces. At the beginning of each semicircular channel there is a swelling - ampoule [3].
They define the parameters of movement in three-dimensional space. Owing to vestibular analyzer we have the notion of our movement in three-dimensional space: one channel reacts to movement in horizontal plane, the other in vertical and the third reacts to movement forward and back and mechanic receptors of ampoules react to linear and non-linear speed-up [2,3].
Semicircular channels are filled with special liquid and have sensitive receptors in a form of small threads. When we move our head, liquid also moves and, as a result, threads also move. This way nervous system gets information that we turned in the definite direction. For example, we tilt the head and nervous system gets this information and as a reaction it gives the command to muscles in order to correct center of gravity and keep the balance while moving or at rest [3]. Healthy vestibular apparatus has a steady connection with oculomotor apparatus. During any movement vestibular apparatus reacts quickly, handles information concerning head position change (speed and direction). These signals help a brain to adapt and preserve gaze fixation in a necessary point [3].
If we take into account anatomy and physiology of vestibular analyzer, we understand that for maximal qualitative stimulating influence on vestibular apparatus exercises in a wind tunnel should be held in three planes: horizontal, frontal and sagittal (relative to air flow) and also combine with linear (equally accelerated direct movement) and non-linear accelerations (equally accelerated or
not equally accelerated movement along the curve).
Vestibular apparatus is the leading part of relations between a person and Earth gravity. Lessons in a wind tunnel should be considered as the method of muscles tone correction. They provide body control at rest and during a movement.
3) training
Flight in a wind tunnel can seem an easy task. However, it leads to considerable physical load. If a person, who is in a flight, fulfills the exercises, even with the instructor, he experiences constant unsteady position. It demands motor reaction. Any person is asymmetric and in terms of equal air pressure additional reflexive reactions appear in order to regulate muscle tonus. These reactions are endless and it means that the flight in a wind tunnel is remedial gymnastics session for a person of any age with any motor disorders. Thus, general principles of RG are used during the flights in a wind tunnel in order to organize rehabilitation. Lessons should be held in two regimens:
a) courses - no more than 12 lessons without any break;
b) in fitness-regimen -2-3 times a week for a long-term period (several months successively) [2].
Maximal effectiveness can be also achieved by time restriction. It is preferable to organize a set (one session of a flight in a wind tunnel) of 3 minutes duration and after adaptation (as a rule, after 2-4 flights)-3 minutes 2-3 times with 15-30 minutes rest.
4) Pyramid reflexes stimulation
For muscles state control at rest and during the movement a person has a reflective sphere in a form of proprioception reflex arc. Owing to this kind of sensitivity nervous system constantly knows the position of each body part in relation to ground and mutual position of each body part in relation to each other. The peculiarity of proprioception is in the fact that a reflex arc is locked in cortex. This constantly big volume of information helps to control muscle tonus and movement and have reflective influence on them. On the basis of proprio- sensitivity pyramidal setting reflexes (cervical symmetrical positioning reflex, chain asymmetric setting reflex from body to pelvis, symmetric setting reflex from pelvis to a hip, heel setting reflex) are formed. These reflexes form the base of a person's motor sphere. For various reasons (birth trauma, genetic disease posttraumatic and post-infectious complications, post-stroke states and etc.) there can be different motor disorders: starting from pyramidal deficiency and motor awkwardness ending with paresis and paralysis [4].
Most tactical rehabilitation methods are based on this kind of sensitivity.
Intensive symmetric pressure of the air flow on body leads to powerful irritation of proprioreflection receptors, which also leads to cortex stimulation. It provides different cortical pyramidal responses.
5) cerebral blood circulation improvement
Work of sternocleidomastoid and trapezoid muscles is controlled by the 11th pair of cranial nerve (CN)- an additional nerve [4]. As a response deep muscles of neck relax and it leads to venous outflow from cerebrum improvement [4,5]. Also physiological mutual location of neck bones restores, arterial inflow improves. It means that blood circulation in vertebro-basilar basin improves within a short time period and it means almost 2/3 of the brain. It is impossible to overestimate such an effect. Thus, we can expect different positive cortical responses caused not only by physical, but also psychic state.
6) oculomotor reactions and vision stimulation
In terms of vestibular apparatus training and brain blood circulation improvement there is oculomotor reactions stimulation, color and light perception, peripheral vision broadens. The effect, as a rule, is seen a month after the course or regular lessons in fitness-regimen [3].
Most instructors, who work with children, teen-agers and adults, have different experience and the duration of observations. However, all they are ready to underline the benefit of the flight in an air flow. Great variety of the observed effects is mainly conditioned by active work of cortex. Psychosomatic complaints become less intensive or disappear. These effects and observations are insufficiently objectified. We work in this direction and very soon these research works would be published.
Undoubtedly, the instructor should be experienced, should have high level of flying skills and provide safety. The instructor should have pedagogical skills of communication with children, received in terms of professional education or life experience. The instructor should be communicative and should be ready to work with disabled children, should evoke trust among children and their parents.
CONCLUSION
1. Lessons in a wind tunnel should be introduced into medical rehabilitation.
2. Decrease age related restrictions till 1-1.5 years old. There are many observations concerning the flight of children of this age group. Small children are more flexible physically and mentally. It is important to broaden and use the effective method during early age, not waiting when a child is 4-5 years-old, when many problems are impossible to solve.
3. The base of an objective control over
lessons effectiveness in a wind tunnel should be formed.
4. The lessons in a wind tunnel with the patients of different age groups should be held under the control of a specialist. For this purpose methodical recommendations should be created. They are connected with the definite nosological forms. Also the complexes of methodical techniques for the instructors of a wind tunnel should be created. The aim of a specialist is to realize the control and to provide the main rehabilitation events. They would improve the flights in a wind tunnel. It is necessary to provide a close interaction between a recreation therapist and the instructor in rehabilitation events.
5. It obligatory to organize the courses of qualification improvement among instructors of a wind tunnel in order to have the permission to work with the patients with different age groups and nosological forms. They would prevent possible injuries and increase the effectiveness of the held events.
Undoubtedly, the flights in a wind tunnel should be considered in details by a professional medical society.
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Submitted: 22.11.2020 Author's information:
Dmitriy V. Sandakov - Neurologist, Recreation Therapist, Institute of family, educational andjuridical programs, 107031, Russia, Moscow, Petrovskij per., House 5 Building 5,e-mail: nevronet@rambler.ru Natalya V. Sandakova - Remedial Gymnastics Instructor, Private entrepreneur 503800943187, Russia, Moscow, e-mail: sandakov.rocktape@yandex.ru
Mikhail V. Shamshurin - Wind Tunnel Instructor in basic Relative Work (RW) and FreeFly, IzFly Park Ltd., 426000, Russia, Izhevsk, Ordzhonikidze str, House 1B, e-mail: 4way-tat@mail.ru
