User:SympatheticResonance/Vladimir Janda

Vladimir Janda, MD, DSc, was a Czech physician, physiotherapist, and neurologist. He is known for his theories of muscle imbalance and for his clinical application of those theories, which emphasized a functional approach to rehabilitative medicine.

Biography
Vladimir Janda was born in Prague in 1922. He contracted poliomyelitis at the age of 15 and became paralyzed for two years. Though he recovered his ability to walk, he was affected by post-polio syndrome for the rest of his life. His experience with polio initiated a life long interest in neuromuscular function. His first book on muscle testing and function was published in 1949 and in 1952 he graduated from Charles University. He was later a chair of the university hospital's department of rehabilitative medicine, and in 1983 was made a full professor. Professor Janda spoke five language and drew on this skill to learn from research from all over the world. Beginning in the early 1960's, he taught throughout Europe and North America, continuing to do so until his death in 2002.

Postural Syndromes
Professor Janda is best known for his 1979 discovery of three postural syndromes : the upper (proximal) crossed, lower (distal or pelvic) crossed, and layer syndromes. These conditions are descriptions of situations in which the tone of antagonistic muscle groups become imbalanced and lead to predictable patterns of pain and dysfunction.

Publications

 * Muscle Function Testing ISBN 9780407002012