The Bobath Concept is an inclusive and individualised therapeutic approach aimed at optimising the recovery of movement and potential for patients with neurological conditions, i.e. with impairment of function, movement and postural control generated by an injury to the central nervous system.
An important element that distinguishes the Bobath Concept from other neurological rehabilitation approaches is that the therapists who apply it structure their knowledge according to the patient with whom they are working, operating according to the functional goal underlying the therapeutic relationship. This means that the analysis of functional movement is based on a deep understanding of the effects that the neurological pathology has on the person: recovery intervention will therefore take into account how movement difficulties are influenced by the individual’s life experiences, both before and after the neurological injury.
The Bobath Concept focuses on the whole person, exploring and stimulating their potential. It is based on the most advanced knowledge in the fields of motor control, movement science and neuroscience, and on a multidisciplinary “24-hour” approach oriented towards activity and participation.
One of the clinical skills of the Bobath Concept is facilitation, understood as an active process that seeks to influence sensory information through therapeutic, verbal and environmental stimulation. These include space setup, activity selection and the use of verbal prompts to enhance the movement experience.