Václav Vojta

Václav Vojta (12 July 1917 – 12 September 2000) was a renowned Czech medical doctor who specialized in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy and developmental disorders.

[1] Vojta began his studies in Prague in 1937, but due to the Nazi occupation, he was forced to postpone them, eventually earning his doctoral degree 10 years later, in 1947.

He discovered the basis of reflex locomotion while searching for treatment therapies for children with cerebral palsy and spastic paralysis.

Although the emphasis of Vojta’s work was initially directed to pediatrics, he very soon recognized that the treatment could also be applied to neurological problems in adult patients.

Vojta Therapy has been used to treat cerebral palsy, peripheral paralysis of the arms and legs, hip dysplasia, and problems in breathing, swallowing and chewing.

When an adult athlete or patient is injured, they sometimes revert to an early pattern of locomotion similar to that of a young infant, before proper control was established.

While Vojta Therapy has been recognized for decades as a viable treatment method throughout Europe and Asia, it has only recently made inroads in the United States, particularly among physical therapists.

The non-profit society, with its headquarters in Munich, runs annual qualification seminars in Germany for health care professionals.

Training around 150 doctors and physiotherapists a year, the qualification seminars focus on treatment of new-born babies, children and adults.