Kontakt 2007, 9(1):94-101 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2007.012

History, current position and possibilities of taking advantage of sport activity in persons with locomotor handicapsHealth and Social Sciences

Jan Kálal

Fakultní nemocnice v Motole, Klinika rehabilitace 2. LF UK, Praha

At the time being, sport is a matter of interest of the society as a whole. Health and social services, economical institutions, state administration and a number of social organizations participate in this activity. The level of handicap sport in a country documents the degree of its cultural and social advancement. The origination of the sport of persons with involvements of the locomotor apparatus can be traced in institutes providing the subsequent care (currently referred to as rehabilitation) in the era of the World War II. Providing of the locomotor function in these patients was the primary task. It was necessary to recover the balance of the body, to strengthen intact muscles and possibly also to engage injured muscles. Enlargement of the extent of the mobility of involved joints was the next task. In defects due to losses of body parts (mostly after the amputation of extremities), it was quite necessary to manufacture compensating or substituting aids and to train the handicapped people in their meaningful use. In training the balancing, sport elements were employed: jumping, running, throwing, boxing. Thereafter, they started to measure the performance of the rehabilitated persons, mainly for medical advisory purposes, further competitive elements were introduced and games were arranged. They were aimed not only at the possibility of the objective evaluation of the results achieved, but also at the motivation of the other patients, in order that their return to the army might be supported. In the period after the war, particularly institutes in English Stoke Mendevilla and Czech Kladruby continued performing these activities. Sport competitions of disabled people were stepwise spread throughout Europe. In 1960, games in Roma established a basis of the contemporary Paralympics.

Keywords: Sport of handicapped people; the Paralympics; rehabilitation of patients with locomotor handicaps

Received: February 26, 2007; Accepted: April 2, 2007; Published: June 15, 2007  Show citation