Berta Bobath,

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(December 5, 1907 – January 20, 1991) was a German physiotherapist who created a method of rehabilitation and therapy known as the

Bobath concept The Bobath concept is an approach to Neurology, neurological rehabilitation is (neuropsychology), rehabilitation that is applied in patient assessment and treatment (such as with adults after stroke or children with cerebral palsy). The goal of ...

in 1948. The

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) is the professional body and trade union for physiotherapists in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1894, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has grown to become the profession's largest membership org ...

believe "it is the most popular approach for treating neurologically-impaired patients in the western world."

Life

Berta Ottilie Busse was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

where she first worked with gymnasts. Her first husband was Kurt Roehl. After the birth of a son and a divorce she left Germany in 1938. She re-met a Czech psychiatrist called Karel Bobath whom she had known in Berlin. They were both Jewish refugees and they married in 1941 and her son was adopted by her second husband.Anne Pimlott Baker,
Bobath, Berta Ottilie (1907–1991)
, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2010, accessed 7 Sept 2015 She had an early success in restoring the abilities of

Simon Elwes Lt. Col. Simon Edmund Vincent Paul Elwes, (29 June 1902 – 6 August 1975) was a British war artist and society portrait painter whose patrons included presidents, kings, queens, statesmen, sportsmen, prominent social figures and many members ...

, who was a successful portrait painter who had suffered a large stroke. With Bobath's help he was able to recover sufficiently to continue painting. The Bobath technique was first described in 1948. Bobath then took formal qualifications in physiotherapy in 1950. She opened her clinic in 1951 with Karel as an honorary consultant. She continued to work with stroke parents and with children with cerebral palsy at what was called the Western Cerebral Palsy Centre. At the clinic, they ran courses for doctors and qualified therapists who want to learn about their particular approach to regaining capabilities. She developed techniques that assisted patients to gain or regain facilities. She was helped by her husband who was able to theorise why her treatments were successful. In 1965 she published ''Abnormal Postural Reflex Activity Caused by Brain Lesions''. In 1975 the clinic became the "Bobath Clinic" and it moved to Hampstead. Berta was awarded the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

in 1976 and she was given an

in 1978. Boston University gave her a doctorate in 1981 and she and Karel were the first couple to be given the Harding award for their work in helping people with disabilities. Bobath died in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on the same day as her husband. They were both ill, and they took drug overdoses. Their son, Brett, is a current physical therapy student.

Legacy

The Bobath clinic continues to run and the Bobath name is well-known; for instance, the

has said of the

that "it is the most popular approach for treating neurologically-impaired patients in the western world." There is a view that Bobath's techniques may be no better than other techniques, although they may be no worse. Critics believe that therapists are not using evidence-based techniques. Others believe that Bobath's approach should be updated rather than abandoned. While Karel and Bertha Bobath were not alone in this endeavour, their approach was highly influential in introducing Developmental Movement concepts into treating various conditions, and for movement learning in various fields. For example,

Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...

a modern dancer and Occupational Therapist, introduced Bobath concepts into the field of

contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...

and

dance therapy Dance/movement therapy (DMT) in USA/ Australia or dance movement psychotherapy (DMP) in the UK is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body. As a modality of the creati ...

where this work still continues to evolve. Another example is Gray Cook, a physiotherapist who was a major figure in

Functional Training Functional training is a classification of exercise which involves training the body for the activities performed in daily life. Origins Functional training has its origins in rehabilitation. Physical and occupational therapists and chiropracto ...

, who was also influenced by Bobathian concepts."
A debate about the Bobath concept is inflaming passions across Europe, Daloni Carlisle talks to people on both sides of the dispute
, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Selected works

* Abnormal postural reflex activity caused by brain lesions, 1965 * Adult hemiplegia : evaluation and treatment, 1970 * Hémiplégie de l'adulte : bilans et traitement, 1973 * Anomalies des réflexes de posture dans les lésions cérébrales, 1973 * Motor development in the different types of cerebral palsy, 1975 * Desarrollo motor en distintos tipos de parálisis cerebral , 1976 * Die motorische Entwicklung bei Zerebralparesen , 1977 * Motorische ontwikkeling bij cerebrale verlamming, 1978 * Hemiplejía del adulto : evaluación y tratamiemto , 1982 * Développement de la motricité des enfants IMC, 1985

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobath, Berta 1907 births 1991 suicides People from Berlin German physiotherapists Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Drug-related suicides in England