Authors
- Bernarda Mušković — Health Center Zagreb – Center, Croatia
- Aleksandra Mihelčić — Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, Croatia
Article type:
Review
Abstract:
Eating disorders are conditions characterized by a distorted perception of one’s body and an unhealthy attitude towards food, resulting in impaired mental and physical health as well as altered social functioning. Since these disorders are almost always accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities, pharmacotherapy plays an important role in their treatment. Psychotherapy is also indispensable, and physiotherapy is gaining increasing significance.
In physiotherapy, the most commonly used methods include massage, autogenic training, hydrotherapy, and especially kinesitherapy. Physiotherapy requires an individualized approach tailored to each patient, regardless of diagnosis or age. The physiotherapist must collaborate within the medical team and be well-informed about the patient’s diagnosis and prior treatments. Physiotherapy positively impacts the physical consequences of eating disorders, such as muscle atrophy and slowed basal metabolism, and also contributes to improving the patient’s psychological well-being.
Keywords:
anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; eating
disorders; kinesitherapy; physiotherapy