Showing posts with label Physiotherapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Physiotherapy. Show all posts
17 February 2011
The Sky's the limit
The Sky's the limit has been doing well so much so that I decided that it should have it's own website, so that people can buy the book, write there own review and or view the site to see what it is about.
22 December 2010
Should your child be doing stretches?
For a child with cerebral palsy, physical therapy acts as one of the main components in improving his motor skills and developing his independent daily function.
During this process of learning and improvement, a child is educated about the use of his extremities and trunk in an appropriate / correct way. The normalization of motor function is followed by normalization of the muscle tone.
Each treatment and approach has long and short-term goals, which are based on the child’s condition, age and stage of development. One part of the process, which is widely accepted as a “one of the main treatment components,” is stretching. However, the way your child is stretched can affect his progress and what he will be able to achieve in the long term. There are two totally different types of stretching: active and passive, both of which we will cover in this article.
Explaining changes in tone.
As a neurological disorder, the effects of cerebral palsy originate from damage caused to certain parts of the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that is affected, a child’s muscles and tissues can become either hypertonic (high muscle tone) or hypotonic (low muscle tone). His ability to move properly will be affected as well. Once the child cannot move properly, he will develop compensatory movements, which in turn will lead to increased muscle tone.
There are two processes which are taking place in the brain. The first one is called irradiation, and the other one is called concentration. Irradiation is the process when all the cells are employed for one particular movement. This also includes cells which are not necessary for the function. The concentration process starts when we are becoming acquired with the necessary movement or function. This is when only the cells which are needed to work are working. If a child cannot move properly, he is struggling to perform functions anyway. Therefore, the process of irradiation is taking place. This is when a child will have increased muscle tone. During development, a child starts off by learning how to roll, then sit up, turn onto his knees, and then crawl. This process takes place in a certain order so that a child’s trunk and extremities will be adequately prepared for the different functions.
This process is important because the trunk (also known as the body’s core) acts as the “king” of the body. If a child does not have well-developed trunk control, his tone will increase because of the effort he has to put into keeping his balance, while performing certain tasks with his limbs.
Applying stretches in an active way.
Now, I know that my discussion is going to cause a lot of debate, but it is not my goal to start an argument on this issue. In fact, personally I am in favour of stretching. But, I think that stretching has to be done actively (i.e. with the child’s participation), and not in a passive way (i.e. when you stretch a child and he does nothing). During this “‘passive’ stretch” his brain does not learn movement or function, since he is not actively participating in the task at hand. Moreover, for the body this is an invasion and the brain and nervous system start to fight this invasion.
As a result, the muscle tone can increase more over a certain period of time. In other words, the results of the treatment will not be long-lasting.
So when stretching is being applied in practice, we need to remember that the child has to be an active participant. It means that he should not just work to grab his hand or leg to stretch, but that he needs to be educated in how to perform functions such as rolling, crawling, standing and walking--which are all, in fact, active stretches. During the stages of “normal development,” a child stretches his body as he works his way through each function. His brain learns new movements through his discovery of the world. This is how a child learns to move correctly using every part of his body, which will lead him to develop proper tone and function. A child with cerebral palsy is no different, which is why we need to consider these key components when guiding him through the development process.
Steps to take.
With these differences in mind, there are many tips that you may wish to consider in regards to your child’s treatment. One thing to consider is that your child’s stretches should always start with the trunk. Every limb works in conjunction with the rest of the body, so they cannot be exercised on their own. When the trunk has been introduced to fluid, rotational movements as a part of regular function, your child’s tone will follow and gradually improve. Then, once the tone has been released from his trunk, you will be able to teach your child how to roll properly. This will allow him to progress onto the next stages of regular development.
Like we’ve discussed before, it is important to avoid exercises that do not have a real purpose behind them. This is what differentiates an “exercise” from a “function.” In real life, we do not stand or roll without reason; we perform the actions with a certain intent in mind. So, when you work with your child, give him a functional goal, for example: we are going to crawl to the table to have lunch, etc.
In learning these steps alongside your child, you will lower his tone, improve his movement and help him realize just how much he can accomplish.
For more articles like this, visit http://www.enabledkids.ca/
During this process of learning and improvement, a child is educated about the use of his extremities and trunk in an appropriate / correct way. The normalization of motor function is followed by normalization of the muscle tone.
Each treatment and approach has long and short-term goals, which are based on the child’s condition, age and stage of development. One part of the process, which is widely accepted as a “one of the main treatment components,” is stretching. However, the way your child is stretched can affect his progress and what he will be able to achieve in the long term. There are two totally different types of stretching: active and passive, both of which we will cover in this article.
Explaining changes in tone.
As a neurological disorder, the effects of cerebral palsy originate from damage caused to certain parts of the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that is affected, a child’s muscles and tissues can become either hypertonic (high muscle tone) or hypotonic (low muscle tone). His ability to move properly will be affected as well. Once the child cannot move properly, he will develop compensatory movements, which in turn will lead to increased muscle tone.
There are two processes which are taking place in the brain. The first one is called irradiation, and the other one is called concentration. Irradiation is the process when all the cells are employed for one particular movement. This also includes cells which are not necessary for the function. The concentration process starts when we are becoming acquired with the necessary movement or function. This is when only the cells which are needed to work are working. If a child cannot move properly, he is struggling to perform functions anyway. Therefore, the process of irradiation is taking place. This is when a child will have increased muscle tone. During development, a child starts off by learning how to roll, then sit up, turn onto his knees, and then crawl. This process takes place in a certain order so that a child’s trunk and extremities will be adequately prepared for the different functions.
This process is important because the trunk (also known as the body’s core) acts as the “king” of the body. If a child does not have well-developed trunk control, his tone will increase because of the effort he has to put into keeping his balance, while performing certain tasks with his limbs.
Applying stretches in an active way.
Now, I know that my discussion is going to cause a lot of debate, but it is not my goal to start an argument on this issue. In fact, personally I am in favour of stretching. But, I think that stretching has to be done actively (i.e. with the child’s participation), and not in a passive way (i.e. when you stretch a child and he does nothing). During this “‘passive’ stretch” his brain does not learn movement or function, since he is not actively participating in the task at hand. Moreover, for the body this is an invasion and the brain and nervous system start to fight this invasion.
As a result, the muscle tone can increase more over a certain period of time. In other words, the results of the treatment will not be long-lasting.
So when stretching is being applied in practice, we need to remember that the child has to be an active participant. It means that he should not just work to grab his hand or leg to stretch, but that he needs to be educated in how to perform functions such as rolling, crawling, standing and walking--which are all, in fact, active stretches. During the stages of “normal development,” a child stretches his body as he works his way through each function. His brain learns new movements through his discovery of the world. This is how a child learns to move correctly using every part of his body, which will lead him to develop proper tone and function. A child with cerebral palsy is no different, which is why we need to consider these key components when guiding him through the development process.
Steps to take.
With these differences in mind, there are many tips that you may wish to consider in regards to your child’s treatment. One thing to consider is that your child’s stretches should always start with the trunk. Every limb works in conjunction with the rest of the body, so they cannot be exercised on their own. When the trunk has been introduced to fluid, rotational movements as a part of regular function, your child’s tone will follow and gradually improve. Then, once the tone has been released from his trunk, you will be able to teach your child how to roll properly. This will allow him to progress onto the next stages of regular development.
Like we’ve discussed before, it is important to avoid exercises that do not have a real purpose behind them. This is what differentiates an “exercise” from a “function.” In real life, we do not stand or roll without reason; we perform the actions with a certain intent in mind. So, when you work with your child, give him a functional goal, for example: we are going to crawl to the table to have lunch, etc.
In learning these steps alongside your child, you will lower his tone, improve his movement and help him realize just how much he can accomplish.
For more articles like this, visit http://www.enabledkids.ca/
24 September 2010
The Sky's the Limit
About 4 years ago I decided to write my experiences of Living with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities little did I realised that 4 years down the line I would see my own life in print for the world to read.
If you would like to find out more about my life so far, the highs and lows, then look no further you can purchase your own signed copy by clicking on the link below:
The Sky's the limit
If you would like to find out more about my life so far, the highs and lows, then look no further you can purchase your own signed copy by clicking on the link below:
The Sky's the limit
11 August 2010
Neurological physiotherapy Using neurological physiotherapy to address deeper issues
Neurological damage, while often debilitating, does not necessarily mean the end of a person's independence. And as the population ages the number of people living with these conditions is on the rise. However, treatments for the likes of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are getting more research funding thrown at them, which is why treatments, such as neurological physiotherapy are also on the increase.
Neurological damage does not have to be a progressive problem that results in a steady deterioration of mobility and motor function over time. It can come about as the result of a one-off event - such as a stroke or severe head trauma. So treating the resultant symptoms with neurological physiotherapy can be a hugely varied process. Reduced mobility or chronic pain can often be ongoing problems - particularly if the neurological damage was sudden, as is the case in stroke patients.
Fortunately, neurological physiotherapy is a versatile treatment and can be tailored to benefit patients with any number of neurological disorders, including both young and old sufferers. So, while nerve damage can often set people back physically, neurological physiotherapy can help maintain patients' levels of physical activity and quality of life.
What can neurological physiotherapy specialists offer?
There are a huge variety of neurological conditions that can impact on people during their lifetimes - such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Cerebral Palsy and muscular dystrophy. And the way these conditions manifest themselves can be different from patient to patient. As a result, neurological physiotherapy programmes are equally varied.
Ongoing neurological rehabilitation programmes generally start with a thorough assessment of a person's neurological health. Trained neurological physiotherapists will be able to assess a condition on a symptomatic basis - taking account of which aspects of mobility are affected. Muscle strength and general physical fitness will also be monitored.
After all underlying problems and symptoms have been identified, a tailored neurological physiotherapy programme can be created. This will revolve around muscle strengthening, stretching, balance activities and postural awareness. Depending on the problems being remedied, walking exercises and respiratory techniques may also be incorporated in the neurological physiotherapy programme.
What does a neurological physiotherapy programme involve?
As mentioned above, neurological physiotherapy programmes are tailored to each individual and are generally used to address specific mobility or muscle problems. This means a neurological therapy programme can incorporate any number of individual exercises.
In terms of boosting muscle strength and physical endurance, simple stretching exercises, weight bearing training and a steady, graded exercise routine can help boost fitness over time. The key to muscle strengthening - particularly among people who have reduced muscle control - is a simple, consistent and long-standing exercise programme.
Depending on the severity of an individual's problems, the neurological physiotherapy programme may be hugely simplified and involve simple standing and sitting exercises. Some patients receive gait re-education, allowing them to regain their mobility and independence.
With other neurological conditions, muscle strength is not necessarily impacted upon, but range of movement and stability is. Often, treatments dealing with these issues revolve around balance and coordination exercises.
There is also an emphasis on sensory treatments in some neurological physiotherapy programmes, which can include hot and cold treatments and surroundings awareness programmes.
The key to successful neurological physiotherapy
The secret to successful neurological physiotherapy programmes is an accurate and thorough initial assessment. Identifying problem areas that can be effectively targeted with tailored treatment is a must. Once a clear evaluation has been conducted then a unique exercise regime can be created.
One of the other key aspects of neurological physiotherapy is ensuring their regularity. Regaining motor control and boosting muscle strength is a timely process that requires a lot of commitment - from both patients and their physiotherapists. But the outward benefits of neurological physiotherapy make this commitment much easier to maintain.
Neurological damage does not have to be a progressive problem that results in a steady deterioration of mobility and motor function over time. It can come about as the result of a one-off event - such as a stroke or severe head trauma. So treating the resultant symptoms with neurological physiotherapy can be a hugely varied process. Reduced mobility or chronic pain can often be ongoing problems - particularly if the neurological damage was sudden, as is the case in stroke patients.
Fortunately, neurological physiotherapy is a versatile treatment and can be tailored to benefit patients with any number of neurological disorders, including both young and old sufferers. So, while nerve damage can often set people back physically, neurological physiotherapy can help maintain patients' levels of physical activity and quality of life.
What can neurological physiotherapy specialists offer?
There are a huge variety of neurological conditions that can impact on people during their lifetimes - such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Cerebral Palsy and muscular dystrophy. And the way these conditions manifest themselves can be different from patient to patient. As a result, neurological physiotherapy programmes are equally varied.
Ongoing neurological rehabilitation programmes generally start with a thorough assessment of a person's neurological health. Trained neurological physiotherapists will be able to assess a condition on a symptomatic basis - taking account of which aspects of mobility are affected. Muscle strength and general physical fitness will also be monitored.
After all underlying problems and symptoms have been identified, a tailored neurological physiotherapy programme can be created. This will revolve around muscle strengthening, stretching, balance activities and postural awareness. Depending on the problems being remedied, walking exercises and respiratory techniques may also be incorporated in the neurological physiotherapy programme.
What does a neurological physiotherapy programme involve?
As mentioned above, neurological physiotherapy programmes are tailored to each individual and are generally used to address specific mobility or muscle problems. This means a neurological therapy programme can incorporate any number of individual exercises.
In terms of boosting muscle strength and physical endurance, simple stretching exercises, weight bearing training and a steady, graded exercise routine can help boost fitness over time. The key to muscle strengthening - particularly among people who have reduced muscle control - is a simple, consistent and long-standing exercise programme.
Depending on the severity of an individual's problems, the neurological physiotherapy programme may be hugely simplified and involve simple standing and sitting exercises. Some patients receive gait re-education, allowing them to regain their mobility and independence.
With other neurological conditions, muscle strength is not necessarily impacted upon, but range of movement and stability is. Often, treatments dealing with these issues revolve around balance and coordination exercises.
There is also an emphasis on sensory treatments in some neurological physiotherapy programmes, which can include hot and cold treatments and surroundings awareness programmes.
The key to successful neurological physiotherapy
The secret to successful neurological physiotherapy programmes is an accurate and thorough initial assessment. Identifying problem areas that can be effectively targeted with tailored treatment is a must. Once a clear evaluation has been conducted then a unique exercise regime can be created.
One of the other key aspects of neurological physiotherapy is ensuring their regularity. Regaining motor control and boosting muscle strength is a timely process that requires a lot of commitment - from both patients and their physiotherapists. But the outward benefits of neurological physiotherapy make this commitment much easier to maintain.
30 July 2010
What is physio-yoga therapy?
Published: July 27, 2010 7:00 PM
Physio-Yoga Therapy is a type of rehabilitative or preventative therapy that combines both evidence-based physiotherapy and yoga therapy resulting in a more holistic approach to your treatment experience. To understand what this therapy is and if it is right for you, you first need to understand each discipline.
Physiotherapy is a well respected health care profession that uses evidence-based treatment methods to help clients restore and maintain optimal movement and function as well as provide education on health maintenance and injury prevention. As licensed health care professionals, physiotherapists have extensive training and knowledge about how the body functions, and use specialized manual skills to assess, diagnose, and treat a variety of injuries, disease symptoms, and disabilities.
Yoga therapy applies yoga principles and techniques to specific acute or chronic illnesses or states of disease or imbalance. Yoga is an ancient system of health that enables you to use your body, mind, and breath as one unit and, therefore, enhances and promotes an overall balanced lifestyle of health and well-being.
Yoga therapy is an emerging profession that has resulted from the popularity of yoga in the western world; primarily because of its effectiveness in delivering a holistic approach to healing. Medical research shows that it is among the most effective complementary therapies in treating health problems. It enhances health and promotes an optimal state of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health through the integration of traditional yoga methods and Western medicine. Some people are opposed to trying yoga because they believe it is a religion or that it will interfere with their own faith. Yoga is not a religion. There is no deity to worship, no worship services to attend, no rituals, no formal statement of religious belief and no institutional structure of overseers or leaders, nor any system of temples or churches. Yoga can be incorporated into your own belief system; and can actually deepen your own personal faith if you do have one.
Is physio-yoga therapy safe for everyone? Yes, as long as the therapist is properly trained. Not all poses are safe or appropriate for everyone. Yoga poses are modified to adapt to each individual’s need. A physio-yoga therapist will always individually assess and develop a specialized treatment plan to address your specific needs. A physiotherapist is trained to assess and treat a variety of conditions safely and, more importantly, is trained to know how to differential diagnose and knows when to refer to a medical doctor or another health care specialist.
A typical physio-yoga therapy session includes hands on, physiotherapy manual therapy techniques combined with individualized exercise prescription with a focus on yoga postures, breathing practices, meditations and lifestyle modifications. A thorough assessment is completed so that an individualized treatment plan can be developed to accurately address your specific needs.
The knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology and the extensive training of a licensed health care professional ensures the assessments and treatments are safe and effective.
So what are the benefits of this type of treatment approach? They are numerous. Physically, yoga postures and breathing techniques can optimize the function of all systems of the body by improving muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, postural alignment, body awareness, vascular and lymph circulation, digestion, hormonal balance, respiration, and by lowering blood pressure, strengthening bones, improving immune function and reducing weight. Mentally, it can improve your alertness, concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, improve your ability to relax, and sleep patterns. Some common conditions that can be addressed are back and neck pain, chronic pain, musculoskeletal injuries (shoulders, hips, knees, etc), osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, Irritable Bowel Disease, migraines/headaches, generally deconditioned, pregnancy, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, urinary stress or urge incontinence.
It is worthy to note the role it plays in disease and injury prevention as well.
The key benefit is an overall state of health and well-being!
For more information on yoga therapy, please visit www.iayt.org or www.professionalyogatherapy.org
Shelly Prosko is a Registered Physiotherapist and Yoga Therapist at Sun City Physiotherapy Winfield. She can be contacted at the Winfield clinic (250.766.2544) or by email at winfield@suncityphysiotherapy.com.
Physio-Yoga Therapy is a type of rehabilitative or preventative therapy that combines both evidence-based physiotherapy and yoga therapy resulting in a more holistic approach to your treatment experience. To understand what this therapy is and if it is right for you, you first need to understand each discipline.
Physiotherapy is a well respected health care profession that uses evidence-based treatment methods to help clients restore and maintain optimal movement and function as well as provide education on health maintenance and injury prevention. As licensed health care professionals, physiotherapists have extensive training and knowledge about how the body functions, and use specialized manual skills to assess, diagnose, and treat a variety of injuries, disease symptoms, and disabilities.
Yoga therapy applies yoga principles and techniques to specific acute or chronic illnesses or states of disease or imbalance. Yoga is an ancient system of health that enables you to use your body, mind, and breath as one unit and, therefore, enhances and promotes an overall balanced lifestyle of health and well-being.
Yoga therapy is an emerging profession that has resulted from the popularity of yoga in the western world; primarily because of its effectiveness in delivering a holistic approach to healing. Medical research shows that it is among the most effective complementary therapies in treating health problems. It enhances health and promotes an optimal state of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health through the integration of traditional yoga methods and Western medicine. Some people are opposed to trying yoga because they believe it is a religion or that it will interfere with their own faith. Yoga is not a religion. There is no deity to worship, no worship services to attend, no rituals, no formal statement of religious belief and no institutional structure of overseers or leaders, nor any system of temples or churches. Yoga can be incorporated into your own belief system; and can actually deepen your own personal faith if you do have one.
Is physio-yoga therapy safe for everyone? Yes, as long as the therapist is properly trained. Not all poses are safe or appropriate for everyone. Yoga poses are modified to adapt to each individual’s need. A physio-yoga therapist will always individually assess and develop a specialized treatment plan to address your specific needs. A physiotherapist is trained to assess and treat a variety of conditions safely and, more importantly, is trained to know how to differential diagnose and knows when to refer to a medical doctor or another health care specialist.
A typical physio-yoga therapy session includes hands on, physiotherapy manual therapy techniques combined with individualized exercise prescription with a focus on yoga postures, breathing practices, meditations and lifestyle modifications. A thorough assessment is completed so that an individualized treatment plan can be developed to accurately address your specific needs.
The knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology and the extensive training of a licensed health care professional ensures the assessments and treatments are safe and effective.
So what are the benefits of this type of treatment approach? They are numerous. Physically, yoga postures and breathing techniques can optimize the function of all systems of the body by improving muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, postural alignment, body awareness, vascular and lymph circulation, digestion, hormonal balance, respiration, and by lowering blood pressure, strengthening bones, improving immune function and reducing weight. Mentally, it can improve your alertness, concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, improve your ability to relax, and sleep patterns. Some common conditions that can be addressed are back and neck pain, chronic pain, musculoskeletal injuries (shoulders, hips, knees, etc), osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, Irritable Bowel Disease, migraines/headaches, generally deconditioned, pregnancy, anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, urinary stress or urge incontinence.
It is worthy to note the role it plays in disease and injury prevention as well.
The key benefit is an overall state of health and well-being!
For more information on yoga therapy, please visit www.iayt.org or www.professionalyogatherapy.org
Shelly Prosko is a Registered Physiotherapist and Yoga Therapist at Sun City Physiotherapy Winfield. She can be contacted at the Winfield clinic (250.766.2544) or by email at winfield@suncityphysiotherapy.com.
29 July 2010
Cerebral Palsy Study Dispels Inflated Costs And Biases
A new study on treating Cerebral Palsy with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is making waves in India and the U.S. The largest sample of children studied to assess neuro-developmental improvements focuses on a combination of standard rehabilitation therapies, such as Occupational, Physical, Speech Therapies and HBOT. HBOT raises the oxygen molecule content in the body through oxygen-carrying blood cells and all body fluids. A person enters a treatment chamber, and the air pressure is compressed with more molecules of air and oxygen. Lately, HBOT has garnered much attention in the media, with athletes using it to train and recover from injuries, diabetics literally saving limbs, patients able to kill resistant bacteria, and most recently, new applications in neurology brain injuries, traumas and disorders.
In fact, this new study out of India compares the use of various hyperbaric pressures with the use of (ambient) air alone or oxygen enrichment in the treatment of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). The study shows that low pressure ambient air hyperbaric therapy (1.3 atmospheres-ATA) is as or more effective than high pressure 100% oxygen (1.5 or 1.75 ATA) in the treatment of CP. The children were studied by Dr. Arun Mukherjee, director of the UDAAN Disabled Children's Center, a non-profit organization, recognized and aided by the Indian Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
This landmark study, co-authored with Dr. Pierre Marois (McGill University in Montreal, Canada), further develops the 1999 ground-breaking McGill study (Lancet, February 2001) by expanding the number of subjects and by implementing an accurate placebo-control testing method. Subjects with a functional diagnosis of spastic diplegia cerebral palsy received one of four hyperbaric options, in addition to standard therapies: 1) the placebo therapy (20 subjects); 2) hyperbaric therapy at 1.3 ATA breathing ambient air under pressure (36 subjects); 3) hyperbaric therapy breathing 100% oxygen at 1.5 ATA (32 subjects); and 4 ) 1.75 ATA with 100% oxygen (58). All subjects were reevaluated at six months after conclusion of therapy to negate any traces of the placebo effect. The study showed significant improvements for all three groups receiving therapy (the placebo group showed little or no improvement). There were no significant improvement differences between the therapies, with a slight preference (cognitive improvement) shown towards 1.3 ATA with air only.
These results, combined with the McGill study, refute previous assumptions in the hyperbaric industry that 100% oxygen under higher pressure is a superior treatment, a false "more is better" treatment bias. In the areas of cognitive development, the milder therapy does not trigger the narrowing of the blood vessels (vasoconstriction) in the brain in the way that the other therapies do, thus allowing additional oxygen to pass through tissue unrestricted.
"It brings into focus that the much more affordable mild hyperbaric therapy is an accessible alternative to expensive high-pressure hyperbaric therapy and does not compromise a patient's standard of care," Dr. Mukherjee admits.
This study has far-reaching implications for other neurological conditions as well. Facing the sky-rocketing costs of treating traumatic brain injury for recovering veterans, stroke, and autism, this study brings hope to those families struggling to afford this greatly desired therapy.
Dr. Arun Mukherjee is Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine, Majeedia Hospital, and Hamdard University, New Delhi, India, and a member of the International Hyperbarics Association.
Source: International Hyperbarics Association
In fact, this new study out of India compares the use of various hyperbaric pressures with the use of (ambient) air alone or oxygen enrichment in the treatment of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). The study shows that low pressure ambient air hyperbaric therapy (1.3 atmospheres-ATA) is as or more effective than high pressure 100% oxygen (1.5 or 1.75 ATA) in the treatment of CP. The children were studied by Dr. Arun Mukherjee, director of the UDAAN Disabled Children's Center, a non-profit organization, recognized and aided by the Indian Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
This landmark study, co-authored with Dr. Pierre Marois (McGill University in Montreal, Canada), further develops the 1999 ground-breaking McGill study (Lancet, February 2001) by expanding the number of subjects and by implementing an accurate placebo-control testing method. Subjects with a functional diagnosis of spastic diplegia cerebral palsy received one of four hyperbaric options, in addition to standard therapies: 1) the placebo therapy (20 subjects); 2) hyperbaric therapy at 1.3 ATA breathing ambient air under pressure (36 subjects); 3) hyperbaric therapy breathing 100% oxygen at 1.5 ATA (32 subjects); and 4 ) 1.75 ATA with 100% oxygen (58). All subjects were reevaluated at six months after conclusion of therapy to negate any traces of the placebo effect. The study showed significant improvements for all three groups receiving therapy (the placebo group showed little or no improvement). There were no significant improvement differences between the therapies, with a slight preference (cognitive improvement) shown towards 1.3 ATA with air only.
These results, combined with the McGill study, refute previous assumptions in the hyperbaric industry that 100% oxygen under higher pressure is a superior treatment, a false "more is better" treatment bias. In the areas of cognitive development, the milder therapy does not trigger the narrowing of the blood vessels (vasoconstriction) in the brain in the way that the other therapies do, thus allowing additional oxygen to pass through tissue unrestricted.
"It brings into focus that the much more affordable mild hyperbaric therapy is an accessible alternative to expensive high-pressure hyperbaric therapy and does not compromise a patient's standard of care," Dr. Mukherjee admits.
This study has far-reaching implications for other neurological conditions as well. Facing the sky-rocketing costs of treating traumatic brain injury for recovering veterans, stroke, and autism, this study brings hope to those families struggling to afford this greatly desired therapy.
Dr. Arun Mukherjee is Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine, Majeedia Hospital, and Hamdard University, New Delhi, India, and a member of the International Hyperbarics Association.
Source: International Hyperbarics Association
12 June 2010
Equipment helps children walk independently
New equipment donated to Adventist Paulson Pediatric Rehabilitation Center is helping children with physical limitations improve their quality of life. The universal exercise unit, a device used to help children learn to walk independently, is expected to benefit countless children with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders.
Four-year-old Owen Chaidez, the first patient to use the technology, already has made remarkable progress improving his limited range of motion; the Downers Grove boy cannot walk due to arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a disorder characterized by reduced mobility of multiple joints. Owen's arms and legs have limited range of motion and he has undergone therapy at Adventist Paulson Pediatric Rehab since he was two weeks old.
"Physically, he's gained so much range of motion in just a few weeks," said Maggie Chaidez, Owen's mom. "But the emotional gains have been just as incredible. Instead of rolling on the floor to get where he needs, now he wants to walk all the time. He's becoming more independent. Between visits to Paulson, he constantly asks when we're going back there."
By increasing strength and range of motion, isolating the weakened muscle groups, and eliminating gravitational forces on the weak muscles, the exercise unit improves balance and coordination, promotes motor skills and enhances a child's self-confidence. The design concept is based on technology originally invented to counteract the negative effects, such as muscle atrophy and osteoporosis, experienced by astronauts due to lack of gravity. The unit counteracts the force of gravity that prevents weakened muscles from performing.
The unit is used in two different ways. First, a treatment bed or chair is used with a system of pulleys and suspensions with the primary goal of improving strength, active range of motion, and muscle flexibility. Alternatively, a suspension system used with a belt and elastic cords (dubbed the "spider cage" by the pediatric patients who use it) helps children achieve gains in balance, coordination and function. The child wears a belt hooked into bungee cords that suspend and support the child in the middle of the cage. This provides just the right amount of support needed to allow the patient to perform exercises virtually independently, which aids sitting, crawling, standing, walking, climbing and jumping.
Because children with neurological disorders often lack muscle tone, coordination, strength and balance, they often try to perform a specific movement using their upper and lower extremities simultaneously. The UEU, along with specific exercises performed in it, allows the therapist to re-train the child to isolate one extremity from the other and move it independently, helping develop a normal gait and, eventually, learn to walk on their own.
"This equipment has allowed us to do intensive therapy with Owen," said his physical therapist, Carrie Crozier-Arena. "It's a huge help to me because it supports him, freeing me to concentrate on his individual muscle movements instead of having to hold him in place and work his muscles at the same time."
The equipment was donated to the rehab center by the Burr Ridge-based The Lazzara Family Foundation, founded by Philip and Antoinette Lazzara in 1984 to support nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, health care, and human services. The foundation donated $6,150 for the equipment, accessories and employee training.
"We are pleased to support the amazing children who rely on Adventist Paulson Pediatric Rehabilitation Center and its dedicated team of therapists through our grant program," said Jack Lazzara, on behalf of The Lazzara Family Foundation. "We believe it's important to invest in our local communities to provide opportunities for improving the lives of others and we're delighted that Owen and his friends are benefiting so greatly from this new equipment."
Hinsdale Hospital Foundation is seeking another $10,000 for additional training and specialized full-body suits used in conjunction with the unit in order to expand its use to bigger children who need to wear larger size suspension suits.
"We're extremely grateful to The Lazzara Family Foundation for their generosity," said Susan King, executive director of the Hinsdale Hospital Foundation. "Our hope is that their seed grant will inspire additional donations allowing us to serve even more children in our community."
Four-year-old Owen Chaidez, the first patient to use the technology, already has made remarkable progress improving his limited range of motion; the Downers Grove boy cannot walk due to arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a disorder characterized by reduced mobility of multiple joints. Owen's arms and legs have limited range of motion and he has undergone therapy at Adventist Paulson Pediatric Rehab since he was two weeks old.
"Physically, he's gained so much range of motion in just a few weeks," said Maggie Chaidez, Owen's mom. "But the emotional gains have been just as incredible. Instead of rolling on the floor to get where he needs, now he wants to walk all the time. He's becoming more independent. Between visits to Paulson, he constantly asks when we're going back there."
By increasing strength and range of motion, isolating the weakened muscle groups, and eliminating gravitational forces on the weak muscles, the exercise unit improves balance and coordination, promotes motor skills and enhances a child's self-confidence. The design concept is based on technology originally invented to counteract the negative effects, such as muscle atrophy and osteoporosis, experienced by astronauts due to lack of gravity. The unit counteracts the force of gravity that prevents weakened muscles from performing.
The unit is used in two different ways. First, a treatment bed or chair is used with a system of pulleys and suspensions with the primary goal of improving strength, active range of motion, and muscle flexibility. Alternatively, a suspension system used with a belt and elastic cords (dubbed the "spider cage" by the pediatric patients who use it) helps children achieve gains in balance, coordination and function. The child wears a belt hooked into bungee cords that suspend and support the child in the middle of the cage. This provides just the right amount of support needed to allow the patient to perform exercises virtually independently, which aids sitting, crawling, standing, walking, climbing and jumping.
Because children with neurological disorders often lack muscle tone, coordination, strength and balance, they often try to perform a specific movement using their upper and lower extremities simultaneously. The UEU, along with specific exercises performed in it, allows the therapist to re-train the child to isolate one extremity from the other and move it independently, helping develop a normal gait and, eventually, learn to walk on their own.
"This equipment has allowed us to do intensive therapy with Owen," said his physical therapist, Carrie Crozier-Arena. "It's a huge help to me because it supports him, freeing me to concentrate on his individual muscle movements instead of having to hold him in place and work his muscles at the same time."
The equipment was donated to the rehab center by the Burr Ridge-based The Lazzara Family Foundation, founded by Philip and Antoinette Lazzara in 1984 to support nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, health care, and human services. The foundation donated $6,150 for the equipment, accessories and employee training.
"We are pleased to support the amazing children who rely on Adventist Paulson Pediatric Rehabilitation Center and its dedicated team of therapists through our grant program," said Jack Lazzara, on behalf of The Lazzara Family Foundation. "We believe it's important to invest in our local communities to provide opportunities for improving the lives of others and we're delighted that Owen and his friends are benefiting so greatly from this new equipment."
Hinsdale Hospital Foundation is seeking another $10,000 for additional training and specialized full-body suits used in conjunction with the unit in order to expand its use to bigger children who need to wear larger size suspension suits.
"We're extremely grateful to The Lazzara Family Foundation for their generosity," said Susan King, executive director of the Hinsdale Hospital Foundation. "Our hope is that their seed grant will inspire additional donations allowing us to serve even more children in our community."
06 June 2010
Mayo Clinic Releases First Children's Book Based On Therapy Dog
Mayo Clinic released its first children's book featuring "Dr. Jack," a 9-year-old miniature pinscher who is Mayo's first facility-based service dog. Escorted by his owner, Mayo employee Marcia Fritzmeier, Jack is part of the health care team that helps patients with physical activity, rehabilitation, and speech therapy. Mayo physicians place an order in a patient's medical record when requesting a visit by Dr. Jack, who sees approximately eight to 10 patients per day.
"In looking for ways to convey the Mayo Clinic model of care, we found a truly remarkable ambassador for Mayo: a little dog named Jack, who actually is a member of the Mayo team," says the book's author Matt Dacy, of Mayo's Department of Development. "This book is the story of Mayo as told through the experience of Jack in a way that children can understand and adults and readers of all ages can appreciate."
"Why do we offer animal-assisted therapy to Mayo Clinic patients? Because it works!" says Brent Bauer, M.D., Mayo Clinic Department of Complementary and Integrative Medicine. "Of course, almost every patient 'feels' better after a visit by a dog like Jack. But scientific studies have shown this type of therapy can reduce pain in children, improve outcomes in adults hospitalized with heart failure, and reduce medication use in elderly patients."
In the book, Dr. Jack wears an identification tag with the Mayo Clinic three shields -- which stand for clinical practice, education and research. When a young boy at Mayo Clinic meets Dr. Jack, he rubs his tag and the two go on an amazing tour of Mayo Clinic, including a helicopter ride on Mayo One. The book includes a biography of Jack by Jenee Marchant and a medical essay on the "Healing Dimension of Pets" by Edward Creagan, M.D., of Mayo's Department of Oncology. Mayo Trustee and former first lady Barbara Bush wrote the book's foreword and John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO, provided the welcome. The book is illustrated by Robert Morreale, unit head of Mayo's Section of Medical Illustration and Animation.
Source
Mayo Clinic
"In looking for ways to convey the Mayo Clinic model of care, we found a truly remarkable ambassador for Mayo: a little dog named Jack, who actually is a member of the Mayo team," says the book's author Matt Dacy, of Mayo's Department of Development. "This book is the story of Mayo as told through the experience of Jack in a way that children can understand and adults and readers of all ages can appreciate."
"Why do we offer animal-assisted therapy to Mayo Clinic patients? Because it works!" says Brent Bauer, M.D., Mayo Clinic Department of Complementary and Integrative Medicine. "Of course, almost every patient 'feels' better after a visit by a dog like Jack. But scientific studies have shown this type of therapy can reduce pain in children, improve outcomes in adults hospitalized with heart failure, and reduce medication use in elderly patients."
In the book, Dr. Jack wears an identification tag with the Mayo Clinic three shields -- which stand for clinical practice, education and research. When a young boy at Mayo Clinic meets Dr. Jack, he rubs his tag and the two go on an amazing tour of Mayo Clinic, including a helicopter ride on Mayo One. The book includes a biography of Jack by Jenee Marchant and a medical essay on the "Healing Dimension of Pets" by Edward Creagan, M.D., of Mayo's Department of Oncology. Mayo Trustee and former first lady Barbara Bush wrote the book's foreword and John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO, provided the welcome. The book is illustrated by Robert Morreale, unit head of Mayo's Section of Medical Illustration and Animation.
Source
Mayo Clinic
31 May 2010
Teens turn Wii remote into physical therapy tool
BY LESLIE BIXLER • Staff writer • May 13, 2010
Andrew Nichelson, a student at Ross High School, and Tiffin Columbian students Seth Sholl and Cody Semer came up with the idea as a senior project for the Tech Center's Computer Communications Network Technician program.
"We modified a Wii mote and turned it into a mouse," Sholl said, adding that they added Velcro straps to secure it to a person's wrist.
Originally, the teens thought to create a variant of a data glove used for gaming. But they turned it into a medical device after talking to Sholl's father, a physical therapist. Sholl said it ended up being more convenient and less expensive to go that route.
Semer said they connect the Wii remote to a computer through Bluetooth signals. The signals are emulated as mouse movements on the screen. He said the program is almost like a game, but tests a person's movement capabilities.
"We're hoping people can use this at home, and the program could send information to an occupational therapist," Semer said.
This would help people with cerebral palsy and people who have had a stroke, the students said. It could also help slow down muscular sclerosis.
"We incorporated three dimensions with the project to test depth perception and ataxic cerebral palsy," Sholl said.
Semer said the project is still not complete.
"We had the project done for state (competition), but we're thinking about taking it further," he said.
They worked with Floyd Collins, their instructor; Terry Ritchie, another instructor; an instructor at Terra Community College; and an occupational therapist at Bellevue Hospital.
They also credit fellow students for help.
"They worked very hard on this project, and we came into the school on weekends while other students where home relaxing and enjoying the weekend," Collins said. "The biggest hurdle for the team was overcoming their fears of presenting the project to the judges.
"They learned more from this project than can be taught from books or the classroom. They learned what it is to be a team and working for a common goal, relying on each other's strengths and overcoming their weaknesses. I am very proud of each of them, and I hope they take what they learned from this and keep going."
Last month, the teens went to Columbus for a business and technology competition and took third place for their project.
They were the first team from the Tech Center in the Tech Prep Showcase in March at Terra Community College.
Andrew Nichelson, a student at Ross High School, and Tiffin Columbian students Seth Sholl and Cody Semer came up with the idea as a senior project for the Tech Center's Computer Communications Network Technician program.
"We modified a Wii mote and turned it into a mouse," Sholl said, adding that they added Velcro straps to secure it to a person's wrist.
Originally, the teens thought to create a variant of a data glove used for gaming. But they turned it into a medical device after talking to Sholl's father, a physical therapist. Sholl said it ended up being more convenient and less expensive to go that route.
Semer said they connect the Wii remote to a computer through Bluetooth signals. The signals are emulated as mouse movements on the screen. He said the program is almost like a game, but tests a person's movement capabilities.
"We're hoping people can use this at home, and the program could send information to an occupational therapist," Semer said.
This would help people with cerebral palsy and people who have had a stroke, the students said. It could also help slow down muscular sclerosis.
"We incorporated three dimensions with the project to test depth perception and ataxic cerebral palsy," Sholl said.
Semer said the project is still not complete.
"We had the project done for state (competition), but we're thinking about taking it further," he said.
They worked with Floyd Collins, their instructor; Terry Ritchie, another instructor; an instructor at Terra Community College; and an occupational therapist at Bellevue Hospital.
They also credit fellow students for help.
"They worked very hard on this project, and we came into the school on weekends while other students where home relaxing and enjoying the weekend," Collins said. "The biggest hurdle for the team was overcoming their fears of presenting the project to the judges.
"They learned more from this project than can be taught from books or the classroom. They learned what it is to be a team and working for a common goal, relying on each other's strengths and overcoming their weaknesses. I am very proud of each of them, and I hope they take what they learned from this and keep going."
Last month, the teens went to Columbus for a business and technology competition and took third place for their project.
They were the first team from the Tech Center in the Tech Prep Showcase in March at Terra Community College.
30 May 2010
One small step for Connor, one big step to help others
TEARS streamed down Wendy Jones's face as she watched her little boy take his very first steps.
Courageous Connor Lamb has learned how to walk – at the age of five.
"I counted as he went," said 30-year-old Wendy. "He managed 19 steps. How fantastic was that? We are really proud of him.
"It has taken him a long time to learn how to walk."
Connor was born with a life-threatening brain defect which delayed his development and movement. Following brain surgery, he was still unable to crawl at the age of three and was forced to spend his early years sitting on the floor.
Before his first birthday, Connor had endured two operations to treat his hydrocephalus, which is also known as fluid on the brain.
"He had a rough time after he was born," explains Wendy, who works as a teacher. "He spent his first Christmas in hospital after developing an infection and that set his development back even further.
"The first operation failed so he had to have another one. Surgery controls the conditions and allows people with hydrocephalus to lead a normal life.
"Surgeons fitted a shunt which drains the fluid from the brain. It was absolutely vital."
Connor, a pupil at Hilton Primary School, can now walk with the help of specialist splints which support his legs.
But Wendy, from Foston, believes Connor's success is all thanks to an independent therapy unit in Shropshire.
"Connor started going to the centre in 2008 and the changes in his development have been amazing," she said.
"We managed to secure funding from our local NHS trust and these sessions at the centre changed Connor's life. We can't thank enough the team who have worked with our son and helped him get on his feet.
"It has been an emotional journey but one which has a happy ending."
As a way of thanking The Movement Centre and highlighting its work, Connor asked his mum if he could raise money for the clinic.
On Sunday, he will set off on a sponsored walk around Branston Water Park.
With the help of his walking frame, and perhaps a hand from his mum and grandmother Daphne Broomfield, Connor plans to complete a short walk along the footpath.
"I don't know how far Connor will be able to go," said Wendy. "It's quite a walk. I think it would probably take me half an hour so Connor is going to need a little bit of help.
"But it's the taking part that counts and walking is his biggest achievement."
It is Connor's wish to raise enough money to pay for another child's treatment who might not be eligible for NHS funding. Each block of therapy, which can last a number of months, costs around £2,000. Connor needed two.
"It's very expensive," said Wendy. "But when you see how much it has helped Connor, you can't fail to want it for your child."
The Movement Centre, near Wales, is an independent, not-for-profit therapy centre dedicated to helping children with problems of movement control. It mainly deals with children with cerebral palsy and other severe conditions which affect mobility.
Wendy contacted the centre in July 2008 and asked if Connor could be assessed. After their first consultation, staff agreed to work with Connor.
"We were thrilled to get a place," said Wendy, who has another son, 22-month-old Reece. It was brilliant. I'd been told how wonderful it was and I really wanted Connor to go.
"I was desperate to help my son, that's why I got in touch.''
Connor started the programme only being able to sit on his bottom. He couldn't stand or walk or crawl.
Staff devised Connor his personal physiotherapy programme and made unique pieces of equipment to help him get around.
Between sessions at the unit, Wendy was shown how to help her son progress.
"I had to strap Connor into his frame for 30 minutes every day," said Wendy. "It supported him whilst he stood upright.
"The equipment helped to strengthen muscles and get him used to being in a vertical position. We also had lots of physiotherapy to do. We had targets to achieve.
"We went back to the unit every two months so the frame could be altered and his development assessed.
"We had two frames, together with physiotherapy and it really helped Connor find his feet. We had to do all kinds of exercises but the hard work paid off.
"In the beginning Connor learned how to pull himself up on things and then he was able to take his own weight.
"Within no time at all, he showed some positive results. I was thrilled. We all were. When we actually took his first steps I was totally overwhelmed. We all cried. It was so emotional."
Wendy and her partner, Stephen Lamb, 29, a duty manager for rail firm Stagecoach, believes life has never been better for Connor.
He loves school, has made some firm friends and is able to walk around like other five-year-old children. Specialist splints still aid his mobility, but they're not visible.
"He just wants to be like every other little boy," said Wendy. "And now he is. He's such a determined child. I'm so glad that he's done so well."
Wendy knew Connor had problems with his brain even before he was born. At her 20-week scan she was told that something was wrong with her unborn baby.
"I was totally devastated to hear that," said Wendy. "Connor was my first baby so it was just awful news to receive.
"I was transferred to Birmingham Women's Hospital where I had more tests.
"It was a worrying time because at first we didn't know exactly what would be wrong with Connor. Pregnancy defect – that's what medics banded about and that worried me even more."
After Connor was born he was transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital where he was assessed. A scan confirmed he had hydrocephalus.
"It was exhausting," said Wendy. "We didn't know much about the condition and that worried us more.
"He had to have two operations on his brain and as a new mum I was petrified. We were in and out of hospital because he kept getting ill and developing infections."
Wendy has battled every step of the way to get the right treatment for her son and her hard work has paid off. Now she's enjoying a more laid back life with her two, very happy and very mobile children.
"I can't thank everyone enough for what they have done for Connor and me and my family," she said.
"Dig deep and help raise some money for Connor's walk – that's all I ask."
Penny Butler, lead physiotherapist at The Movement Centre, said: "We are thrilled to hear about Connor's sponsored walk. He has made such huge progress since he started coming to us.
"His efforts to raise money for us are much appreciated. Around 40% of the children we treat here do not secure NHS funding. This money could make such a difference to people's lives."
For ways to donate, e-mail Wendy at wendy19804@yahoo.co.uk
Courageous Connor Lamb has learned how to walk – at the age of five.
"I counted as he went," said 30-year-old Wendy. "He managed 19 steps. How fantastic was that? We are really proud of him.
"It has taken him a long time to learn how to walk."
Connor was born with a life-threatening brain defect which delayed his development and movement. Following brain surgery, he was still unable to crawl at the age of three and was forced to spend his early years sitting on the floor.
Before his first birthday, Connor had endured two operations to treat his hydrocephalus, which is also known as fluid on the brain.
"He had a rough time after he was born," explains Wendy, who works as a teacher. "He spent his first Christmas in hospital after developing an infection and that set his development back even further.
"The first operation failed so he had to have another one. Surgery controls the conditions and allows people with hydrocephalus to lead a normal life.
"Surgeons fitted a shunt which drains the fluid from the brain. It was absolutely vital."
Connor, a pupil at Hilton Primary School, can now walk with the help of specialist splints which support his legs.
But Wendy, from Foston, believes Connor's success is all thanks to an independent therapy unit in Shropshire.
"Connor started going to the centre in 2008 and the changes in his development have been amazing," she said.
"We managed to secure funding from our local NHS trust and these sessions at the centre changed Connor's life. We can't thank enough the team who have worked with our son and helped him get on his feet.
"It has been an emotional journey but one which has a happy ending."
As a way of thanking The Movement Centre and highlighting its work, Connor asked his mum if he could raise money for the clinic.
On Sunday, he will set off on a sponsored walk around Branston Water Park.
With the help of his walking frame, and perhaps a hand from his mum and grandmother Daphne Broomfield, Connor plans to complete a short walk along the footpath.
"I don't know how far Connor will be able to go," said Wendy. "It's quite a walk. I think it would probably take me half an hour so Connor is going to need a little bit of help.
"But it's the taking part that counts and walking is his biggest achievement."
It is Connor's wish to raise enough money to pay for another child's treatment who might not be eligible for NHS funding. Each block of therapy, which can last a number of months, costs around £2,000. Connor needed two.
"It's very expensive," said Wendy. "But when you see how much it has helped Connor, you can't fail to want it for your child."
The Movement Centre, near Wales, is an independent, not-for-profit therapy centre dedicated to helping children with problems of movement control. It mainly deals with children with cerebral palsy and other severe conditions which affect mobility.
Wendy contacted the centre in July 2008 and asked if Connor could be assessed. After their first consultation, staff agreed to work with Connor.
"We were thrilled to get a place," said Wendy, who has another son, 22-month-old Reece. It was brilliant. I'd been told how wonderful it was and I really wanted Connor to go.
"I was desperate to help my son, that's why I got in touch.''
Connor started the programme only being able to sit on his bottom. He couldn't stand or walk or crawl.
Staff devised Connor his personal physiotherapy programme and made unique pieces of equipment to help him get around.
Between sessions at the unit, Wendy was shown how to help her son progress.
"I had to strap Connor into his frame for 30 minutes every day," said Wendy. "It supported him whilst he stood upright.
"The equipment helped to strengthen muscles and get him used to being in a vertical position. We also had lots of physiotherapy to do. We had targets to achieve.
"We went back to the unit every two months so the frame could be altered and his development assessed.
"We had two frames, together with physiotherapy and it really helped Connor find his feet. We had to do all kinds of exercises but the hard work paid off.
"In the beginning Connor learned how to pull himself up on things and then he was able to take his own weight.
"Within no time at all, he showed some positive results. I was thrilled. We all were. When we actually took his first steps I was totally overwhelmed. We all cried. It was so emotional."
Wendy and her partner, Stephen Lamb, 29, a duty manager for rail firm Stagecoach, believes life has never been better for Connor.
He loves school, has made some firm friends and is able to walk around like other five-year-old children. Specialist splints still aid his mobility, but they're not visible.
"He just wants to be like every other little boy," said Wendy. "And now he is. He's such a determined child. I'm so glad that he's done so well."
Wendy knew Connor had problems with his brain even before he was born. At her 20-week scan she was told that something was wrong with her unborn baby.
"I was totally devastated to hear that," said Wendy. "Connor was my first baby so it was just awful news to receive.
"I was transferred to Birmingham Women's Hospital where I had more tests.
"It was a worrying time because at first we didn't know exactly what would be wrong with Connor. Pregnancy defect – that's what medics banded about and that worried me even more."
After Connor was born he was transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital where he was assessed. A scan confirmed he had hydrocephalus.
"It was exhausting," said Wendy. "We didn't know much about the condition and that worried us more.
"He had to have two operations on his brain and as a new mum I was petrified. We were in and out of hospital because he kept getting ill and developing infections."
Wendy has battled every step of the way to get the right treatment for her son and her hard work has paid off. Now she's enjoying a more laid back life with her two, very happy and very mobile children.
"I can't thank everyone enough for what they have done for Connor and me and my family," she said.
"Dig deep and help raise some money for Connor's walk – that's all I ask."
Penny Butler, lead physiotherapist at The Movement Centre, said: "We are thrilled to hear about Connor's sponsored walk. He has made such huge progress since he started coming to us.
"His efforts to raise money for us are much appreciated. Around 40% of the children we treat here do not secure NHS funding. This money could make such a difference to people's lives."
For ways to donate, e-mail Wendy at wendy19804@yahoo.co.uk
20 March 2010
Promise For Improving Hand Function In Teens With Cerebral Palsy: Modified Home Video Game
Engineers at Rutgers University have modified a popular home video game system to help teenagers with cerebral palsy improve hand functions. In a pilot trial with three participants, the system improved the teens' abilities to perform a range of daily personal and household activities.
The modified system combined a Sony PlayStation 3 console and a commercial gaming glove with custom-developed software and games to provide exercise routines aimed at improving hand speed and range of finger motion.
The Rutgers engineers, who are members of the university's Tele-Rehabilitation Institute, worked with clinicians at the Indiana University School of Medicine to deploy systems in participants' homes for up to 10 months. A description of the modified system and its use in the pilot trial appeared this week in the journal, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.
"Based on early experience, the system engages the interest of teens with cerebral palsy and makes it convenient for them to perform the exercises they need to achieve results," said Grigore Burdea, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Rutgers Tele-Rehabilitation Institute.
Each system communicated via the Internet to allow the Indiana and Rutgers researchers to oversee participants' exercise routines and evaluate the effectiveness of the systems. The system is an example of both virtual rehabilitation, where patients interact with computer-generated visual environments to perform exercises, and tele-rehabilitation, where patients perform exercises under remote supervision by physical or occupational therapists.
"All three teens were more than a decade out from their perinatal strokes, yet we showed that improvement was still possible ," said Meredith Golomb, associate professor of neurology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children pediatric neurologist in this study. "The virtual reality telerehabiltiaiton system kept them exercising by rewarding whatever movements they could make, and all three showed significant progress in hand function."
Golomb oversaw the pilot study where participants were asked to exercise their affected hand 30 minutes a day, five days a week, using games custom developed by the Rutgers engineers. The games were calibrated to the individual teen's hand functionality. An on-screen image of a hand showing normal movements guided the participants in their exercises.
After three months of therapy, two participants progressed from being unable to lift large, heavy objects to being able to do so. Participants showed varying improvement in such activities as brushing teeth, shampooing, dressing, and using a spoon. At 10 months, one participant was able to open a heavy door.
The modified PlayStation 3 is the second system based on commercial video gaming technology that Burdea and his institute have developed to investigate economical and engaging rehabilitation therapy tools. Earlier work involved modifying an older model Microsoft Xbox to help stroke victims recover hand functions.
"Systems like this have the potential for widespread deployment in outpatient clinics or the homes of people needing rehabilitation services for any number of illnesses or injuries," said Burdea, a noted inventor of virtual rehabilitation technology. "Well-designed custom games are likely to hold patients' attention and motivate them to complete their exercises, versus conventional therapy regimens, which patients may find boring or tedious."
Burdea acknowledged the popularity of gaming platforms and many newer games that physically engage their players, but noted that they generally are not suitable off-the-shelf for rehabilitation needs. Games for rehabilitation need to focus on the specific impairment, and they require professional oversight to ensure that patients exercise within therapeutic bounds while not over-exercising and risking stress or injury.
The systems that Burdea and his colleagues built combined a PlayStation 3 console with a Fifth Dimension Technologies 5 Ultra sensing glove, a flat-panel television, mouse, keyboard and digital subscriber line modem for Internet communication. They reprogrammed the game console using the open-source Linux operating system and developed games written in Java3D.
One game promoted range of finger motion by asking participants to clean up bars of "dirty" pixels on the screen to reveal an image. Another promoted finger movement speed by asking participants to flick away an on-screen butterfly. A third promoted hand opening and closing speed by asking participants to manipulate an on-screen unidentified flying object.
The developers also wrote software to manage participant scheduling and performance data and to administer subjective evaluation questionnaires.
In addition to Burdea and Golomb, the article's co-authors are Meghan Huber and Bryan Rabin, both Rutgers undergraduates during the study, and Ciprian Docan and Moustafa AbdelBaky, Rutgers graduate students. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Clarian Foundation.
Source:
Carl Blesch
Rutgers University
The modified system combined a Sony PlayStation 3 console and a commercial gaming glove with custom-developed software and games to provide exercise routines aimed at improving hand speed and range of finger motion.
The Rutgers engineers, who are members of the university's Tele-Rehabilitation Institute, worked with clinicians at the Indiana University School of Medicine to deploy systems in participants' homes for up to 10 months. A description of the modified system and its use in the pilot trial appeared this week in the journal, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.
"Based on early experience, the system engages the interest of teens with cerebral palsy and makes it convenient for them to perform the exercises they need to achieve results," said Grigore Burdea, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Rutgers Tele-Rehabilitation Institute.
Each system communicated via the Internet to allow the Indiana and Rutgers researchers to oversee participants' exercise routines and evaluate the effectiveness of the systems. The system is an example of both virtual rehabilitation, where patients interact with computer-generated visual environments to perform exercises, and tele-rehabilitation, where patients perform exercises under remote supervision by physical or occupational therapists.
"All three teens were more than a decade out from their perinatal strokes, yet we showed that improvement was still possible ," said Meredith Golomb, associate professor of neurology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Riley Hospital for Children pediatric neurologist in this study. "The virtual reality telerehabiltiaiton system kept them exercising by rewarding whatever movements they could make, and all three showed significant progress in hand function."
Golomb oversaw the pilot study where participants were asked to exercise their affected hand 30 minutes a day, five days a week, using games custom developed by the Rutgers engineers. The games were calibrated to the individual teen's hand functionality. An on-screen image of a hand showing normal movements guided the participants in their exercises.
After three months of therapy, two participants progressed from being unable to lift large, heavy objects to being able to do so. Participants showed varying improvement in such activities as brushing teeth, shampooing, dressing, and using a spoon. At 10 months, one participant was able to open a heavy door.
The modified PlayStation 3 is the second system based on commercial video gaming technology that Burdea and his institute have developed to investigate economical and engaging rehabilitation therapy tools. Earlier work involved modifying an older model Microsoft Xbox to help stroke victims recover hand functions.
"Systems like this have the potential for widespread deployment in outpatient clinics or the homes of people needing rehabilitation services for any number of illnesses or injuries," said Burdea, a noted inventor of virtual rehabilitation technology. "Well-designed custom games are likely to hold patients' attention and motivate them to complete their exercises, versus conventional therapy regimens, which patients may find boring or tedious."
Burdea acknowledged the popularity of gaming platforms and many newer games that physically engage their players, but noted that they generally are not suitable off-the-shelf for rehabilitation needs. Games for rehabilitation need to focus on the specific impairment, and they require professional oversight to ensure that patients exercise within therapeutic bounds while not over-exercising and risking stress or injury.
The systems that Burdea and his colleagues built combined a PlayStation 3 console with a Fifth Dimension Technologies 5 Ultra sensing glove, a flat-panel television, mouse, keyboard and digital subscriber line modem for Internet communication. They reprogrammed the game console using the open-source Linux operating system and developed games written in Java3D.
One game promoted range of finger motion by asking participants to clean up bars of "dirty" pixels on the screen to reveal an image. Another promoted finger movement speed by asking participants to flick away an on-screen butterfly. A third promoted hand opening and closing speed by asking participants to manipulate an on-screen unidentified flying object.
The developers also wrote software to manage participant scheduling and performance data and to administer subjective evaluation questionnaires.
In addition to Burdea and Golomb, the article's co-authors are Meghan Huber and Bryan Rabin, both Rutgers undergraduates during the study, and Ciprian Docan and Moustafa AbdelBaky, Rutgers graduate students. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Clarian Foundation.
Source:
Carl Blesch
Rutgers University
11 February 2010
Spasticity/tone
February 9, 2010 by afp
I would venture to say many of us have issues with spasticity or tone. What is this, what does it mean, and what is the difference? My, oh, my, I was confused when they would mention these two different terms, and then I decided to dig. I found out it was more confusing trying to express the meanings.
I did find out that spasticity seems to react differently for each of us. Spasticity and tone affects us with weird mannerisms. Some do well on medications, some do not. Some have pain associated with this, where some do not. Some are assisted by physical therapy, whereupon reading further, it shall be detailed.
Overview of spasticity
The most common causes of spasticity are lack of oxygen to the brain before, during, or after birth (cerebral palsy); physical trauma (brain or spinal cord injury); blockage of or bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain (stroke); multiple sclerosis (MS); or infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
When damage that causes the eventual spasticity first occurs, the muscles are usually flaccid before they become spastic. Spasticity may not be present all the time—it may be related to a trigger, or stimulus, such as pain, pressure sores, a urinary tract infection, ingrown toenails, tight clothing, or constipation.
Spasticity may be painful, especially if it pulls joints into abnormal positions and or prevents a normal movement of the joints. Spasticity may range from slight muscle stiffness to permanent shortening of the muscle. When the muscle is permanently shortened, the joint becomes misshapen. This is called a contracture and is one of the most significant consequences of spasticity. Another closely related problem with muscles in many people who have spasticity is clonus, or rapid repeated muscle spasms.
While spasticity may affect any muscle group, there are some common patterns. When spasticity affects one or both arms, flexed (bent) elbow, flexed wrist, and clenched fist may result. These can all affect the person’s ability to dress, eat, or write or may interfere with balance, thereby causing difficulties with walking. Spasticity of the legs can cause flexed hip, adducted (or scissoring) thigh, stiff knee, flexed knee, equinovarus foot, and hyperextended great toe (which is also called the hitchhiker’s toe). Spasticity of one or both legs may interfere with the ability to walk, position in bed, sit, transfer, or stand.
Epidemiology
Overall, spasticity affects about 500,000 people in the United States, and more than 12 million people throughout the world. The number of people affected depends upon the cause of the spasticity. In the United Kingdom, approximately 100,000 people have a first-time stroke every year, and an additional 30,000 have a repeated stroke. Stroke afflicts almost 2,000 out of every 1 million people per year worldwide. Almost 40 percent of people who have a stroke continue to have spasticity one year later.
One year later? Ha! I bet, besides myself, many still have it years later.
Clinical examination
A standard evaluation of the nervous system forms the basis of the clinical examination in spasticity. Strength and reflexes are both assessed in this examination. The clinician asks the patient to relax and then moves the joints through their full range of motion at various speeds. Spastic muscles may have a “spastic catch,” exhibit the “clasped knife” phenomenon, or both. Observing the person with spasticity perform activities such as walking, drinking from an open cup, and moving from one position to another often yields valuable information.
The clinical examination also includes an evaluation of deep tendon reflexes. The most commonly used method of testing these reflexes is the tapping technique. With the patient sitting on the examination table and his or her legs hanging freely, the examiner gently but firmly taps below the knee (testing the patellar reflex), first on one leg and then the other.
The responses should be the same in the two legs. Similar techniques may be used to test reflexes in the Achilles tendon (behind the ankle), and reflexes may also be checked in the biceps, triceps, and brachioradialis muscles of the arms.
The Spasticity Management Team
The best treatment of spasticity usually includes an active patient or advocate and caregivers working with several health-care professionals from various medical backgrounds. Members of this team may include one or more of the following people.
Neurologist
A neurologist is a medical doctor trained in disorders of the nervous system. The neurologist may diagnose the neurologic problem; prescribe treatments, including medications and physical and occupational therapy; and refer the patient for surgical evaluation if necessary. The neurologist may also inject the chemodenervation treatments (see the section on treatment that follows).
Physiatrist
A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The physiatrist may design the rehabilitation program, working with other team members to maximize the patient’s function and minimize the disabling aspects of the neurologic injury. The physiatrist may also prescribe medications and administer chemodenervation treatments.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who is responsible for the physical aspects of treatment. The physical therapist may perform or direct another person to perform the exercises that are necessary to assist in maintaining the range of motion of limbs affected by spasticity. The physical therapist may also apply and fit braces, splints, or casts that may be prescribed by the physiatrist or other treating physician.
In addition, the physical therapist may direct training to improve the patient’s ability to walk or move and may instruct patients and caregivers on how to position affected arms and legs to help reduce spasticity. A physical therapist often works closely with an occupational therapist to design changes in the home and equipment that might be necessary to accommodate the patient’s needs.
Occupational therapist
An occupational therapist is a healthcare professional who specializes in adaptation of the physical environment to meet the patient’s needs. The occupational therapist may teach modifications for dressing, feeding, and grooming to the patient and caregiver. This therapist may also offer expertise on adaptive devices such as wheelchairs and bath equipment and may advise on home and workplace modifications to increase accessibility and ease of use. The occupational therapist is usually the medical professional who advises the school on issues such as seating, writing, and use of facilities.
Neurosurgeon
A neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform surgical procedures related to the nervous system. For example, when a patient with severe spasticity has a positive response to a screening test (intrathecal baclofen bolus) and is then recommended to receive continuous intrathecal baclofen (ITBTM Therapy), the neurosurgeon may implant the baclofen delivery pump.
Neurosurgeons may also perform an operation to destroy selected sensory nerves at their entry point into the spinal cord (selective dorsal rhizotomy) when other treatments cannot offer adequate spasticity relief. When a patient requires exposure of a target nerve for chemodenervation, the neurosurgeon is usually the physician who performs that operation; a neurologist or physiatrist then usually performs the chemodenervation.
Orthopedic surgeon
An orthopedic surgeon is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform operations related to bones, joints, muscles, and surrounding connective tissue. These types of procedures may help to reduce or correct contractures that lead to abnormal positioning of joints. Orthopedic operations often involve reconstruction or revision of tendons and bones. The orthopedic surgeon may also assist with the fitting of braces and assessing growth and development.
Spasticity treatment
In some patients with mild spasticity, the best treatment may be no treatment, with a watch-and-wait strategy. Typically, treatment is reserved for spasticity that causes pain, interferes with activities of daily living or sleep, or leads to increasing levels of functional disability.
Some key questions that should be answered before beginning any treatment for spasticity include:
1. Is treatment necessary?
2. Do the patient and caregiver have the time and resources necessary to put the treatment into action?
3. Will the treatment improve the patient’s or the caregiver’s quality of life?
Treatment goals
Patient and family expectations regarding the possibilities of treatments and outcomes may be realistic or unrealistic. Inappropriate expectations about the effectiveness of treatment may lead to disappointment regarding relief of symptoms and pain. Therefore, ongoing communication and agreement by the patient, caregivers, and healthcare professionals regarding the goals of treatment are extremely important. The following list includes goals that are commonly developed in the treatment of spasticity.
· Relieve the signs and symptoms of spasticity
· Reduce pain, frequency of spasms, or irritating stimuli
· Improve gait, hygiene, activities of daily living, or ease of care
· Reduce problems with passive function, that is, the functions provided by the caregiver, such as dressing, feeding, transfer, and bathing
· Improve voluntary active motor function, that is, the behaviors and functions that are under the patient’s control, such as reaching for, grasping, moving, and releasing an object
Types of treatment
A combination of various types of treatment is usually required to attain the specific goals of treatment for a particular patient. Most people with spasticity require physical and occupational therapy to improve or maintain the range of motion in their spastic limbs.
Description of types of therapies: You can follow this at the following web link: www.wemove.org/spa/spa_pot.html.
Physical and occupational therapy
Although physical therapy is a mainstay of treatment for spasticity, there has been surprisingly little research conducted to support the use of these techniques. Physical therapy for spasticity refers to a range of physical (as opposed to drug or surgical) treatments. These treatments of spastic muscles are designed to reduce muscle tone, maintain or improve range of motion and mobility, increase strength and coordination, and improve care and comfort.
The choice of treatments is individualized to meet the needs of the person with spasticity. Physical therapy is the most common form of treatment for spasticity in children. The success of the therapy is often based upon the motivation of the person with spasticity and the caregiver, as well as the physical therapist’s skills.
Please note the last paragraph. Team effort is a must. The success of therapy is often based upon motivation of the person and the caregiver. If you are alone, the team may be you and the therapist. It will not work unless you have motivation. I refer it as “attitude.” I have written about “attitude” in previous articles. Get one !!! Never give up, I improve everyday despite two brainstem strokes.
Here are some additional sites for more info:
- www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-spasticity
- www.geocities.com/aneecp/terms.htm
- www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spasticity/spasticity.htm
I would venture to say many of us have issues with spasticity or tone. What is this, what does it mean, and what is the difference? My, oh, my, I was confused when they would mention these two different terms, and then I decided to dig. I found out it was more confusing trying to express the meanings.
I did find out that spasticity seems to react differently for each of us. Spasticity and tone affects us with weird mannerisms. Some do well on medications, some do not. Some have pain associated with this, where some do not. Some are assisted by physical therapy, whereupon reading further, it shall be detailed.
Overview of spasticity
The most common causes of spasticity are lack of oxygen to the brain before, during, or after birth (cerebral palsy); physical trauma (brain or spinal cord injury); blockage of or bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain (stroke); multiple sclerosis (MS); or infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).
When damage that causes the eventual spasticity first occurs, the muscles are usually flaccid before they become spastic. Spasticity may not be present all the time—it may be related to a trigger, or stimulus, such as pain, pressure sores, a urinary tract infection, ingrown toenails, tight clothing, or constipation.
Spasticity may be painful, especially if it pulls joints into abnormal positions and or prevents a normal movement of the joints. Spasticity may range from slight muscle stiffness to permanent shortening of the muscle. When the muscle is permanently shortened, the joint becomes misshapen. This is called a contracture and is one of the most significant consequences of spasticity. Another closely related problem with muscles in many people who have spasticity is clonus, or rapid repeated muscle spasms.
While spasticity may affect any muscle group, there are some common patterns. When spasticity affects one or both arms, flexed (bent) elbow, flexed wrist, and clenched fist may result. These can all affect the person’s ability to dress, eat, or write or may interfere with balance, thereby causing difficulties with walking. Spasticity of the legs can cause flexed hip, adducted (or scissoring) thigh, stiff knee, flexed knee, equinovarus foot, and hyperextended great toe (which is also called the hitchhiker’s toe). Spasticity of one or both legs may interfere with the ability to walk, position in bed, sit, transfer, or stand.
Epidemiology
Overall, spasticity affects about 500,000 people in the United States, and more than 12 million people throughout the world. The number of people affected depends upon the cause of the spasticity. In the United Kingdom, approximately 100,000 people have a first-time stroke every year, and an additional 30,000 have a repeated stroke. Stroke afflicts almost 2,000 out of every 1 million people per year worldwide. Almost 40 percent of people who have a stroke continue to have spasticity one year later.
One year later? Ha! I bet, besides myself, many still have it years later.
Clinical examination
A standard evaluation of the nervous system forms the basis of the clinical examination in spasticity. Strength and reflexes are both assessed in this examination. The clinician asks the patient to relax and then moves the joints through their full range of motion at various speeds. Spastic muscles may have a “spastic catch,” exhibit the “clasped knife” phenomenon, or both. Observing the person with spasticity perform activities such as walking, drinking from an open cup, and moving from one position to another often yields valuable information.
The clinical examination also includes an evaluation of deep tendon reflexes. The most commonly used method of testing these reflexes is the tapping technique. With the patient sitting on the examination table and his or her legs hanging freely, the examiner gently but firmly taps below the knee (testing the patellar reflex), first on one leg and then the other.
The responses should be the same in the two legs. Similar techniques may be used to test reflexes in the Achilles tendon (behind the ankle), and reflexes may also be checked in the biceps, triceps, and brachioradialis muscles of the arms.
The Spasticity Management Team
The best treatment of spasticity usually includes an active patient or advocate and caregivers working with several health-care professionals from various medical backgrounds. Members of this team may include one or more of the following people.
Neurologist
A neurologist is a medical doctor trained in disorders of the nervous system. The neurologist may diagnose the neurologic problem; prescribe treatments, including medications and physical and occupational therapy; and refer the patient for surgical evaluation if necessary. The neurologist may also inject the chemodenervation treatments (see the section on treatment that follows).
Physiatrist
A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The physiatrist may design the rehabilitation program, working with other team members to maximize the patient’s function and minimize the disabling aspects of the neurologic injury. The physiatrist may also prescribe medications and administer chemodenervation treatments.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who is responsible for the physical aspects of treatment. The physical therapist may perform or direct another person to perform the exercises that are necessary to assist in maintaining the range of motion of limbs affected by spasticity. The physical therapist may also apply and fit braces, splints, or casts that may be prescribed by the physiatrist or other treating physician.
In addition, the physical therapist may direct training to improve the patient’s ability to walk or move and may instruct patients and caregivers on how to position affected arms and legs to help reduce spasticity. A physical therapist often works closely with an occupational therapist to design changes in the home and equipment that might be necessary to accommodate the patient’s needs.
Occupational therapist
An occupational therapist is a healthcare professional who specializes in adaptation of the physical environment to meet the patient’s needs. The occupational therapist may teach modifications for dressing, feeding, and grooming to the patient and caregiver. This therapist may also offer expertise on adaptive devices such as wheelchairs and bath equipment and may advise on home and workplace modifications to increase accessibility and ease of use. The occupational therapist is usually the medical professional who advises the school on issues such as seating, writing, and use of facilities.
Neurosurgeon
A neurosurgeon is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform surgical procedures related to the nervous system. For example, when a patient with severe spasticity has a positive response to a screening test (intrathecal baclofen bolus) and is then recommended to receive continuous intrathecal baclofen (ITBTM Therapy), the neurosurgeon may implant the baclofen delivery pump.
Neurosurgeons may also perform an operation to destroy selected sensory nerves at their entry point into the spinal cord (selective dorsal rhizotomy) when other treatments cannot offer adequate spasticity relief. When a patient requires exposure of a target nerve for chemodenervation, the neurosurgeon is usually the physician who performs that operation; a neurologist or physiatrist then usually performs the chemodenervation.
Orthopedic surgeon
An orthopedic surgeon is a medical doctor who is specially trained to perform operations related to bones, joints, muscles, and surrounding connective tissue. These types of procedures may help to reduce or correct contractures that lead to abnormal positioning of joints. Orthopedic operations often involve reconstruction or revision of tendons and bones. The orthopedic surgeon may also assist with the fitting of braces and assessing growth and development.
Spasticity treatment
In some patients with mild spasticity, the best treatment may be no treatment, with a watch-and-wait strategy. Typically, treatment is reserved for spasticity that causes pain, interferes with activities of daily living or sleep, or leads to increasing levels of functional disability.
Some key questions that should be answered before beginning any treatment for spasticity include:
1. Is treatment necessary?
2. Do the patient and caregiver have the time and resources necessary to put the treatment into action?
3. Will the treatment improve the patient’s or the caregiver’s quality of life?
Treatment goals
Patient and family expectations regarding the possibilities of treatments and outcomes may be realistic or unrealistic. Inappropriate expectations about the effectiveness of treatment may lead to disappointment regarding relief of symptoms and pain. Therefore, ongoing communication and agreement by the patient, caregivers, and healthcare professionals regarding the goals of treatment are extremely important. The following list includes goals that are commonly developed in the treatment of spasticity.
· Relieve the signs and symptoms of spasticity
· Reduce pain, frequency of spasms, or irritating stimuli
· Improve gait, hygiene, activities of daily living, or ease of care
· Reduce problems with passive function, that is, the functions provided by the caregiver, such as dressing, feeding, transfer, and bathing
· Improve voluntary active motor function, that is, the behaviors and functions that are under the patient’s control, such as reaching for, grasping, moving, and releasing an object
Types of treatment
A combination of various types of treatment is usually required to attain the specific goals of treatment for a particular patient. Most people with spasticity require physical and occupational therapy to improve or maintain the range of motion in their spastic limbs.
Description of types of therapies: You can follow this at the following web link: www.wemove.org/spa/spa_pot.html.
Physical and occupational therapy
Although physical therapy is a mainstay of treatment for spasticity, there has been surprisingly little research conducted to support the use of these techniques. Physical therapy for spasticity refers to a range of physical (as opposed to drug or surgical) treatments. These treatments of spastic muscles are designed to reduce muscle tone, maintain or improve range of motion and mobility, increase strength and coordination, and improve care and comfort.
The choice of treatments is individualized to meet the needs of the person with spasticity. Physical therapy is the most common form of treatment for spasticity in children. The success of the therapy is often based upon the motivation of the person with spasticity and the caregiver, as well as the physical therapist’s skills.
Please note the last paragraph. Team effort is a must. The success of therapy is often based upon motivation of the person and the caregiver. If you are alone, the team may be you and the therapist. It will not work unless you have motivation. I refer it as “attitude.” I have written about “attitude” in previous articles. Get one !!! Never give up, I improve everyday despite two brainstem strokes.
Here are some additional sites for more info:
- www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-spasticity
- www.geocities.com/aneecp/terms.htm
- www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spasticity/spasticity.htm
Phone App To Improved Stroke Rehab
Led by Professor Linda Worrall from UQ's Clinical Centre for Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aphasia Rehabilitation, the study will be the first of its kind to use the technology in combining two complementary approaches to aphasia rehabilitation into one optimal treatment outcome.
Aphasia, a language difficulty attributed to injury of the brain, usually from stroke, is estimated to affect 80,000 Australians. It can vary from mild difficulties with finding words, or reading text, to not being able to understand what people are saying and being unable to speak.
As part of the study, 50 participants with aphasia will wear voice-activated recorders for four weeks to record the amount of time they talk each day.
The small device, to be incorporated into their mobile phone, will function in a similar way as a pedometer is used in the 10,000 steps program, by keeping track of the users "communicative fitness".
Professor Worrall said that participants would then be allocated to appropriate speech pathology programs based on their communicative fitness, which will help them gradually communicate more often.
"Our study aims to examine whether people with aphasia can improve their language and life participation by increasing the amount of time they talk during their everyday lives," she said.
"The benefits of this program for people with aphasia and their families is that it not only aims to improve language function but also to prevent or overcome the effects of social isolation that come from not being able to understand or communicate clearly with others.
"We envisage that this study will lead to better communication outcomes, less social isolation, and better quality of life for people with aphasia and their families."
Professor Worrall said that the CCRE has recruited all known available researchers associated with aphasia in Australia and relevant international experts to achieve this goal, and anticipates that the size of the team will double during the program.
The major outcome from research within the CCRE will be the development of the Australian Aphasia Clinical Pathway in close collaboration with speech pathologists and consumers.
Source
University of Queensland
Aphasia, a language difficulty attributed to injury of the brain, usually from stroke, is estimated to affect 80,000 Australians. It can vary from mild difficulties with finding words, or reading text, to not being able to understand what people are saying and being unable to speak.
As part of the study, 50 participants with aphasia will wear voice-activated recorders for four weeks to record the amount of time they talk each day.
The small device, to be incorporated into their mobile phone, will function in a similar way as a pedometer is used in the 10,000 steps program, by keeping track of the users "communicative fitness".
Professor Worrall said that participants would then be allocated to appropriate speech pathology programs based on their communicative fitness, which will help them gradually communicate more often.
"Our study aims to examine whether people with aphasia can improve their language and life participation by increasing the amount of time they talk during their everyday lives," she said.
"The benefits of this program for people with aphasia and their families is that it not only aims to improve language function but also to prevent or overcome the effects of social isolation that come from not being able to understand or communicate clearly with others.
"We envisage that this study will lead to better communication outcomes, less social isolation, and better quality of life for people with aphasia and their families."
Professor Worrall said that the CCRE has recruited all known available researchers associated with aphasia in Australia and relevant international experts to achieve this goal, and anticipates that the size of the team will double during the program.
The major outcome from research within the CCRE will be the development of the Australian Aphasia Clinical Pathway in close collaboration with speech pathologists and consumers.
Source
University of Queensland
03 December 2009
Report shows CIMT may improve arm use in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a potentially effective form of intervention for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, but more research is needed, according to a new systematic review published in the November issue of Physical Therapy (PTJ), the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The review, which analyzed 21 intervention studies and 2 systematic reviews, concluded that further research should focus on the frequency, duration, and type of constraint used to treat the affected limb. Similar gains may be achieved when both arms are used together during therapy, but there have not as yet been sufficient studies that compare these two types of physical therapy. Moreover, the review concluded that there is insufficient research on the impact of CIMT on a developing child's undamaged brain regions and that more investigation is needed.
Hemiplegic cerebral palsy affects one arm and leg on the same side of the body. CIMT forces the use of the affected side, specifically the upper extremity, by gently restraining the unaffected side in a mitt, sling, or cast. The patient then practices moving the affected arm for varying durations of time and intensity. Previous studies showed support for the use of CIMT to improve the frequency of use of the affected arm for children with hemiplegia. In most studies, positive effects were demonstrated 6 to 8 months after intervention.
"Although previous studies reveal a marked increase in function of the affected limb, there is a strong need for more rigorous studies to determine what constitutes an adequate dose of CIMT for pediatric patients with hemiplegia," said physical therapist Linda Fetters, PT, PhD, FAPTA, the holder of the Sykes Family Chair in Pediatric Physical Therapy, Health and Development in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
This systematic review specifically focused on research involving children younger than 18 years of age, as the central nervous system in these young children is still in the early stages of development. One of the theories behind the success of CIMT in children is that the developing brain has the capacity to reorganize learning.
"What we don't yet know is the impact of prolonged restraint on a child's developing nervous system," said first author Hsiang-han Huang, MS, OT, a ScD student in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at Boston University. "Depending on the stage of development during which CIMT is applied, its potential impact may differ."
Physical therapists are highly-educated, licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility -- in many cases without expensive surgery or the side effects of prescription medications. APTA represents approximately 76,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy nationwide. Its purpose is to improve the health and quality of life of individuals through the advancement of physical therapist practice, education, and research. In most states, patients can make an appointment directly with a physical therapist, without a physician referral. Learn more about conditions physical therapists can treat and find a physical therapist in your area at www.moveforwardpt.com.
Hemiplegic cerebral palsy affects one arm and leg on the same side of the body. CIMT forces the use of the affected side, specifically the upper extremity, by gently restraining the unaffected side in a mitt, sling, or cast. The patient then practices moving the affected arm for varying durations of time and intensity. Previous studies showed support for the use of CIMT to improve the frequency of use of the affected arm for children with hemiplegia. In most studies, positive effects were demonstrated 6 to 8 months after intervention.
"Although previous studies reveal a marked increase in function of the affected limb, there is a strong need for more rigorous studies to determine what constitutes an adequate dose of CIMT for pediatric patients with hemiplegia," said physical therapist Linda Fetters, PT, PhD, FAPTA, the holder of the Sykes Family Chair in Pediatric Physical Therapy, Health and Development in the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
This systematic review specifically focused on research involving children younger than 18 years of age, as the central nervous system in these young children is still in the early stages of development. One of the theories behind the success of CIMT in children is that the developing brain has the capacity to reorganize learning.
"What we don't yet know is the impact of prolonged restraint on a child's developing nervous system," said first author Hsiang-han Huang, MS, OT, a ScD student in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at Boston University. "Depending on the stage of development during which CIMT is applied, its potential impact may differ."
Physical therapists are highly-educated, licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility -- in many cases without expensive surgery or the side effects of prescription medications. APTA represents approximately 76,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy nationwide. Its purpose is to improve the health and quality of life of individuals through the advancement of physical therapist practice, education, and research. In most states, patients can make an appointment directly with a physical therapist, without a physician referral. Learn more about conditions physical therapists can treat and find a physical therapist in your area at www.moveforwardpt.com.
30 November 2009
The Types of Neurological Conditions and Physiotherapy Used
They can be life-threatening at times, and they can certainly affect the quality of the patient’s life.
There are many neurological conditions and physiotherapy can help many of them.
Alzheimer’s disease takes away the declining years of many older people.
It is surprising to note that it can occur in people 40 years old or younger.
ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a disease that robs the brain and spinal cord of the ability to move.
Both of these are neurological diseases that can be helped by physiotherapy.
MS, another of the neurological conditions that affects the brain and spinal cord, can lead to a long, slow decline.
Parkinson’s disease is another of the neurological conditions of the brain.
This one can cause shaking and loss of coordination, and problems moving and walking.
Physiotherapy offers some relief to these patients.
Guillain Barre Syndrome is one of the types of neurological conditions that affect the brain and spinal cord too.
It is a case of the person’s own immune system attacking outside these areas.
It can be severe enough to require emergency hospitalization. Physiotherapy offers help with regaining strength and adapting to life with the disease.
Neurological conditions that are autoimmune diseases are difficult to treat.
Myasthenia Gravis is one such illness. It causes muscular weakness because of a lack of communication between nerves and muscles.
Like other neurological conditions, it can be very debilitating. A great amount of physiotherapy is needed to help Myasthenia Gravis patients to live with their neurological conditions.
This includes strength training, training in the use of supportive devices, and help with common tasks.
One problem physiotherapists face when working with MG patients is that too much exercise will make their condition worse and not better. Many of the patients with neurological conditions cannot carry on daily functions such as caring for themselves and their homes.
It is not uncommon for these people to be unable to work. They may even have trouble walking or getting up and down stairs at all. Difficulty swallowing or breathing; dizziness, poor balance and falls, and a total lack of endurance plague many of these patients who have neurological conditions. Medications or surgeries can help with some of their problems, but many problems are ones they will have to abide.
Physiotherapy can offer solutions that other branches of medicine cannot.
Exercises, as in most physiotherapy, include strengthening and stretching exercises.
In whatever way is possible, patients with neurological conditions need to get aerobic exercise.
Physiotherapists may be able to make a plan so that this is possible.
Part of this plan for patients with neurological conditions would include balance training and coordination training. With these two skills in place, the patient will have a more advanced ability to do aerobic and other exercises. Aquatic exercise is also used.
Patients with neurological conditions must live with many problems of lack of movement and function.
Physiotherapy can help them to overcome some of these problems.It can make their lives easier and more pleasant, besides.
There are many neurological conditions and physiotherapy can help many of them.
Alzheimer’s disease takes away the declining years of many older people.
It is surprising to note that it can occur in people 40 years old or younger.
ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a disease that robs the brain and spinal cord of the ability to move.
Both of these are neurological diseases that can be helped by physiotherapy.
MS, another of the neurological conditions that affects the brain and spinal cord, can lead to a long, slow decline.
Parkinson’s disease is another of the neurological conditions of the brain.
This one can cause shaking and loss of coordination, and problems moving and walking.
Physiotherapy offers some relief to these patients.
Guillain Barre Syndrome is one of the types of neurological conditions that affect the brain and spinal cord too.
It is a case of the person’s own immune system attacking outside these areas.
It can be severe enough to require emergency hospitalization. Physiotherapy offers help with regaining strength and adapting to life with the disease.
Neurological conditions that are autoimmune diseases are difficult to treat.
Myasthenia Gravis is one such illness. It causes muscular weakness because of a lack of communication between nerves and muscles.
Like other neurological conditions, it can be very debilitating. A great amount of physiotherapy is needed to help Myasthenia Gravis patients to live with their neurological conditions.
This includes strength training, training in the use of supportive devices, and help with common tasks.
One problem physiotherapists face when working with MG patients is that too much exercise will make their condition worse and not better. Many of the patients with neurological conditions cannot carry on daily functions such as caring for themselves and their homes.
It is not uncommon for these people to be unable to work. They may even have trouble walking or getting up and down stairs at all. Difficulty swallowing or breathing; dizziness, poor balance and falls, and a total lack of endurance plague many of these patients who have neurological conditions. Medications or surgeries can help with some of their problems, but many problems are ones they will have to abide.
Physiotherapy can offer solutions that other branches of medicine cannot.
Exercises, as in most physiotherapy, include strengthening and stretching exercises.
In whatever way is possible, patients with neurological conditions need to get aerobic exercise.
Physiotherapists may be able to make a plan so that this is possible.
Part of this plan for patients with neurological conditions would include balance training and coordination training. With these two skills in place, the patient will have a more advanced ability to do aerobic and other exercises. Aquatic exercise is also used.
Patients with neurological conditions must live with many problems of lack of movement and function.
Physiotherapy can help them to overcome some of these problems.It can make their lives easier and more pleasant, besides.
03 November 2009
Learning to walk again: Neurological rehabilitation overcomes paralysis
BY BRIAN PASSEY
bpassey@thespectrum.com
James Loris is walking again. The father of five who owned his own construction business was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down following an off-highway vehicle accident that fractured his C6 vertebrae.
"When I broke my neck, it pinched my spinal cord," Loris says, adding that the injury disrupted the brain's communication with his body, causing the paralysis. "He just turned the system back on."
Loris is referring to Steven Bennett, a physical therapist at Mountain Land's Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation Center in St. George. Bennett utilizes a neuromuscular training program to restore function to paralyzed or dysfunctional muscles resulting from a variety of medical conditions, including strokes, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries cerebral palsy and other neurological and orthopedic conditions.
The program utilizes electrodes placed on a patient's muscle group to read electrical signals transmitted from the brain to the muscle. An attached computer reads electrical impulses, displaying the signals on a monitor for the therapist and patient to see during treatments.
The therapist then uses a conditioning protocol to teach the brain to use alternate paths to communicate with the muscles. This conditioning is tracked by watching the signals on the monitor.
Once the brain learns to communicate with muscles through new paths it remembers the alternate paths for future use and, in effect, overcomes the paralysis.
That is how Loris came to walk again.
"You have to have determination," Loris says.
He's not quite back to his pre-accident mobility. Loris walks with a limp and has to concentrate on lifting his leg so he doesn't trip over his foot. Bennett says they have not yet been able to restore movement to the muscles in one of Loris' feet.
It's a long way from using a wheelchair because he didn't have any movement from the neck down.
"He'll come back in and we'll tune him up and smooth out that walk," Bennett says.
It's not an easy process. It's hard work. It requires strength. Yet Loris says he was driven because he had to provide for his family. He can even drive a vehicle with a standard transmission, clutch and all.
Bob Mower
The treatment is not just effective for accidents like what happened to Loris. Bob Mower, a retired Dixie State College chemistry professor, suffered a severe stroke in May and was unable to walk because he lost mobility on his entire left side.
"It was a long time before I could even move," Mower says.
Bennett says Mower was not supposed to be able to walk again. That was before he went through the neuromuscular training program.
"We had to turn on his whole left side," Bennett says.
Because Mower had the determination to move again, he checked out of both inpatient rehabilitation and home health before he was supposed to so he could begin working with Bennett.
Mower's wife, Susan, calls Bennett a "miracle worker" and says he's "perpetually optimistic and encouraging."
"Bob's in far better shape than anyone ever thought he would be," she says.
When he first visited the Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation Center, Mower couldn't walk or move his left hand. His goals were to overcome both of those obstacles and he has.
"Now I can walk from the parking lot into the therapy office, from the parking lot into the grocery store, and from the parking lot into church," he says. "I can move my hand and fingers well enough to hold onto things. I can hold the television remote so tightly my wife can't get it away from me."
Mower also likes how Bennett appreciates a good joke, because Mower is full of them.
Richard Cox
He still uses a wheelchair to get around but Richard Cox is much farther along in his recovery than he thought he would be after his injury more than three years ago.
"I had absolutely no movement," Cox says. "I couldn't type. I couldn't write my name. It's been a long 3 1/2 years."
Now he is slowly regaining movement. Although he still needs the wheelchair for everyday movement, he can walk short distances with the aid of a walker and knee brace.
Cox was riding in the back of a Jeep when he hit the roll bar and blood began to flood his spinal cord. Blood clots suffocated the spinal cord and peripheral nerves, leaving him paralyzed.
Then his aunt, who lives in St. George, mailed an article about Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation to Cox in Phoenix, where he lived at the time. About six months ago Cox moved to St. George to pursue treatment.
Like others who have sought Bennett's help, Cox has damage to the pathways normally used by the brain to communicate with his muscles. Because these pathways don't regenerate, Bennett has to work with Cox to teach his brain to follow different pathways.
To do this, Cox positions his wheelchair between two horizontal bars in Bennett's office. He uses his upper-body strength to pull himself up to a standing position. From there he slowly puts weight on one leg at a time to send signals to his brain. Through trial and error of placing the weight in different spots he can train his brain to find different communication pathways to the muscles.
"Once the brain sees it a couple of times it will repeat it and repeat it until it's locked into motor memory," Bennett says.
It's not easy.
As Cox puts weight on his leg he groans loudly, almost like he's bench-pressing weights in a gym. Because of his injury, his nerves are more sensitive than normal. Cox says everything is magnified by about 10 times. The process is both painful and exhausting.
Still he's determined to push through and regain mobility.
Cox meets his goal of sending a powerful signal to his brain as tracked on the computer monitor. Yet he wheezes, "One more."
He puts his weight on his left leg again, groaning under the effort once more. He meets another goal and Bennett asks Cox if he has enough energy to go again.
Without hesitation Cox replies: "Yeah."
Then he decides to show off. With Bennett blocking Cox's weaker left leg so it doesn't give out on him, he walks a few steps, using the horizontal bars for some support.
He pulls his hands from the bars, putting his entire weight on his stronger right leg for a few seconds. He is standing without assistance.
"I can, with my right leg, support my weight," Cox says with an optimistic smile.
For about three months after his injury, Cox was one of about 20 patients in the hospital with similar injuries. He got to know the other patients quite well during that time. Now he says they have all given up except one other and him.
That is why he wants to spread the word about this treatment.
"I figure this accident had to happen for a reason," he says.
He didn't know services like this were available until his aunt sent him the newspaper article. Only about a dozen locations around the country offer the neurological rehabilitation services.
Cox has been working with Bennett for less than six months and has seen many successes during that short time. Bennett says he's walked up and down the length of the center's gym with the walker.
Ever the determined optimist, Cox pats his sleek, black wheelchair and says: "I look forward to donating this to someone else."
For more information on Mountain Land's Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation Center, call 628-5194
bpassey@thespectrum.com
James Loris is walking again. The father of five who owned his own construction business was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down following an off-highway vehicle accident that fractured his C6 vertebrae.
"When I broke my neck, it pinched my spinal cord," Loris says, adding that the injury disrupted the brain's communication with his body, causing the paralysis. "He just turned the system back on."
Loris is referring to Steven Bennett, a physical therapist at Mountain Land's Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation Center in St. George. Bennett utilizes a neuromuscular training program to restore function to paralyzed or dysfunctional muscles resulting from a variety of medical conditions, including strokes, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries cerebral palsy and other neurological and orthopedic conditions.
The program utilizes electrodes placed on a patient's muscle group to read electrical signals transmitted from the brain to the muscle. An attached computer reads electrical impulses, displaying the signals on a monitor for the therapist and patient to see during treatments.
The therapist then uses a conditioning protocol to teach the brain to use alternate paths to communicate with the muscles. This conditioning is tracked by watching the signals on the monitor.
Once the brain learns to communicate with muscles through new paths it remembers the alternate paths for future use and, in effect, overcomes the paralysis.
That is how Loris came to walk again.
"You have to have determination," Loris says.
He's not quite back to his pre-accident mobility. Loris walks with a limp and has to concentrate on lifting his leg so he doesn't trip over his foot. Bennett says they have not yet been able to restore movement to the muscles in one of Loris' feet.
It's a long way from using a wheelchair because he didn't have any movement from the neck down.
"He'll come back in and we'll tune him up and smooth out that walk," Bennett says.
It's not an easy process. It's hard work. It requires strength. Yet Loris says he was driven because he had to provide for his family. He can even drive a vehicle with a standard transmission, clutch and all.
Bob Mower
The treatment is not just effective for accidents like what happened to Loris. Bob Mower, a retired Dixie State College chemistry professor, suffered a severe stroke in May and was unable to walk because he lost mobility on his entire left side.
"It was a long time before I could even move," Mower says.
Bennett says Mower was not supposed to be able to walk again. That was before he went through the neuromuscular training program.
"We had to turn on his whole left side," Bennett says.
Because Mower had the determination to move again, he checked out of both inpatient rehabilitation and home health before he was supposed to so he could begin working with Bennett.
Mower's wife, Susan, calls Bennett a "miracle worker" and says he's "perpetually optimistic and encouraging."
"Bob's in far better shape than anyone ever thought he would be," she says.
When he first visited the Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation Center, Mower couldn't walk or move his left hand. His goals were to overcome both of those obstacles and he has.
"Now I can walk from the parking lot into the therapy office, from the parking lot into the grocery store, and from the parking lot into church," he says. "I can move my hand and fingers well enough to hold onto things. I can hold the television remote so tightly my wife can't get it away from me."
Mower also likes how Bennett appreciates a good joke, because Mower is full of them.
Richard Cox
He still uses a wheelchair to get around but Richard Cox is much farther along in his recovery than he thought he would be after his injury more than three years ago.
"I had absolutely no movement," Cox says. "I couldn't type. I couldn't write my name. It's been a long 3 1/2 years."
Now he is slowly regaining movement. Although he still needs the wheelchair for everyday movement, he can walk short distances with the aid of a walker and knee brace.
Cox was riding in the back of a Jeep when he hit the roll bar and blood began to flood his spinal cord. Blood clots suffocated the spinal cord and peripheral nerves, leaving him paralyzed.
Then his aunt, who lives in St. George, mailed an article about Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation to Cox in Phoenix, where he lived at the time. About six months ago Cox moved to St. George to pursue treatment.
Like others who have sought Bennett's help, Cox has damage to the pathways normally used by the brain to communicate with his muscles. Because these pathways don't regenerate, Bennett has to work with Cox to teach his brain to follow different pathways.
To do this, Cox positions his wheelchair between two horizontal bars in Bennett's office. He uses his upper-body strength to pull himself up to a standing position. From there he slowly puts weight on one leg at a time to send signals to his brain. Through trial and error of placing the weight in different spots he can train his brain to find different communication pathways to the muscles.
"Once the brain sees it a couple of times it will repeat it and repeat it until it's locked into motor memory," Bennett says.
It's not easy.
As Cox puts weight on his leg he groans loudly, almost like he's bench-pressing weights in a gym. Because of his injury, his nerves are more sensitive than normal. Cox says everything is magnified by about 10 times. The process is both painful and exhausting.
Still he's determined to push through and regain mobility.
Cox meets his goal of sending a powerful signal to his brain as tracked on the computer monitor. Yet he wheezes, "One more."
He puts his weight on his left leg again, groaning under the effort once more. He meets another goal and Bennett asks Cox if he has enough energy to go again.
Without hesitation Cox replies: "Yeah."
Then he decides to show off. With Bennett blocking Cox's weaker left leg so it doesn't give out on him, he walks a few steps, using the horizontal bars for some support.
He pulls his hands from the bars, putting his entire weight on his stronger right leg for a few seconds. He is standing without assistance.
"I can, with my right leg, support my weight," Cox says with an optimistic smile.
For about three months after his injury, Cox was one of about 20 patients in the hospital with similar injuries. He got to know the other patients quite well during that time. Now he says they have all given up except one other and him.
That is why he wants to spread the word about this treatment.
"I figure this accident had to happen for a reason," he says.
He didn't know services like this were available until his aunt sent him the newspaper article. Only about a dozen locations around the country offer the neurological rehabilitation services.
Cox has been working with Bennett for less than six months and has seen many successes during that short time. Bennett says he's walked up and down the length of the center's gym with the walker.
Ever the determined optimist, Cox pats his sleek, black wheelchair and says: "I look forward to donating this to someone else."
For more information on Mountain Land's Southwest Neurological Rehabilitation Center, call 628-5194
18 October 2009
Challenges don't hold boy back
By Denise Richardson
Staff Writer
ONEONTA _ Kieran Jennings and his classmates at Valleyview Elementary School took a math test Thursday.
The pupils picked up pencils. The room grew quiet with concentration.
Kieran, 8, carefully wrote answers on a sheet from a workbook, as his peers at nearby desks recorded and checked figures and sums.
The quiz time was a short spell in a morning busy with reading, writing and listening activities in the second-grade classroom.
Kieran, who has cerebral palsy and uses crutches to walk, kept pace with the schedule. He readily moved around desks, chairs and tables, and from one academic assignment to another.
"He puts forth a lot of effort," Judi Visnosky, his teacher, said. Kieran is among 12 students in her class. At the beginning of the school year, Visnosky said, she moved a table to make room for Kieran's wheelchair, but otherwise there has been little need for other accommodations.
He is treated just "like everyone else," Visnosky said. Kieran is part of the group, she said.
He sits on the floor with classmates during reading time, participates in question-and-answer sessions and plays in gym class.
Coping with the challenges of cerebral palsy seem an accepted part of daily challenges for Kieran, who said his favorite class is gym.
His physician, Dr. Joseph Dutkowsky, said he hopes the sight of crutches and wheelchairs used by children with CP will "melt away," and that people will grow to know Kieran and others as individuals with goals, desires and other human attributes.
Keirstan and Tom Jennings, Kieran's mother and father, are among parents, physicians, physical therapists and children's advocates who signed up
for the Bassett-Columbia Symposium on Cerebral Palsy, held at The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown on Friday. The program, organized by Dutkowsky, was designed to provide updates on available treatments and venues to discuss the effects cerebral palsy has on individuals and their families.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that have an impact on a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. The condition is caused by an injury to parts of the brain, or as a result of a problem with development, the CDC said. Often the problem happens before or soon after birth.
Dutkowsky, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Bassett Healthcare, said the condition is an injury to transmitters, or the motor part, of the brain. CP must never be confused with mental retardation, he said, and most people with CP have normal intelligence.
According to the CDC, one in 278 births in the United States results in a child with CP.
More infants with low birth-weights are being saved through skills of medical staff, Dutkowsky said, and the result is a growing number of individuals with CP in schools, work places and communities. Research also is advancing treatment for CP, which gives hope to families and patients, said Dutkowsky, an associate clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University. His seminar topic at the symposium focused on how children with CP make a transition into adulthood.
Bassett Healthcare and NewYork Presbyterian, the hospitals of Columbia and Cornell universities, were symposium sponsors.
Early diagnosis, early intervention
Kieran was born prematurely and spent two months in the neo-natal intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center, his parents said, and he battled fungal meningitis.
Physicians were "very careful to not say" Kieran had cerebral palsy, Keirstan said, but a physical therapist confirmed the condition when Kieran was 6 months old. Tom said he remembers the milestone when a pediatric developmental neurologist said his son wasn't mentally disabled; Kieran was 10 months old, he said.
Keirstan said the fact that she and Tom were teachers in the Oneonta School District helped them feel confident about the support and instruction their son would receive.
She teaches art, and Tom is in his second year as a principal at Schenevus Central School, after having taught social studies at Oneonta High School. Before Kieran started school, each parent took two years off work to be home with Kieran and give him the hours of daily physical therapy he needed.
The Jennings said they remembered when Kieran asked about how long he would have cerebral palsy.
Kieran one day asked, "When I'm in second grade, will I have CP?" Yes, his father replied. Third grade? Fourth? Yes. Yes.
Keirstan said she was holding back tears. Tom told Kieran, "You'll have it all your life."
After a thoughtful moment, Kieran asked if they could go to Ruffino's Pizzeria for dinner.
Kieran attended pre-kindergarten at Greater Plains Elementary School and kindergarten and first grade at Valleyview. His parents said his teachers and the school staff worked hard to make Kieran's academic and social experiences successful.
More second-grade lessons
Teaching assistant Marilyn Bailey is an integral part of Kieran's community. She said she meets Kieran as he gets off a school bus in the morning, is nearby most of the day to help with academic and physical tasks and sees him to the bus after school. When he needs help, she is there. She is a partner in relay races, she said, and they sing in the elevator when no one else can hear them.
"He's just a delightful child," Bailey said. "He has a sense of humor. ... He's very agreeable,"
In the classroom, Kieran has a chair with wheels on the back legs. When at his desk, he uses a seat belt to prevent falls. He will walk, using crutches, to move about the classroom, and a wheelchair always is nearby for use in case of an emergency.
Kieran has trouble with zippers, she said, and he is rather easily distracted. Sometimes wanting to help him is a natural inclination, she said, but the greater goal is teach him to do things for himself and develop skills to further the independence he already is showing,
"He's very independent, but he's still learning," Bailey said. "I'm just there `in case.' ... I'm still learning to work with him."
Hard work leads to success
Tom Jennings said, with a smile, he wants Kieran to become an "alpha male." Jennings said he hopes his son becomes ambitious, self-sufficient and is happy. His son must continue physical activities throughout life, he said, and he is wondering about weight-training and future sports participation. His mother said she hopes Kieran will go to college and "finds a job he loves."
Kieran already has gained self-confidence that grows from facing and succeeding at challenges every day, Tom Jennings said.
"Hard work trumps talent _ every time," he said. "He's learned that if he doesn't quit, he'll succeed."
That earned success is an important lesson that some adults haven't learned, the Jennings said. They also attribute Kieran's success to the work of physical therapists who refused to let him quit.
Liam Jennings, 9, a fourth-grader at Valleyview, said his favorite activity with Kieran is to "run around and wrestle."
"Kieran is the best brother," Liam said.
Tom Jennings said Kieran is a hard-worker, empathetic, kind and inclined to play well with other children.
Skyler Payne is a classmate who enjoys spending time with Kieran, the teachers said.
Skyler, 6, said he and Kieran like to play with Matchbox cars and color.
"We also love Monster Jam and Transformers," Skyler said. They play catch, and Skyler said when they play tag, "I walk slow." Kieran is a "100 percent" friend, compared to others who are "99 percent," he said.
"He really is a good friend to me," Skyler said. "And I am really a good friend to him."
Staff Writer
ONEONTA _ Kieran Jennings and his classmates at Valleyview Elementary School took a math test Thursday.
The pupils picked up pencils. The room grew quiet with concentration.
Kieran, 8, carefully wrote answers on a sheet from a workbook, as his peers at nearby desks recorded and checked figures and sums.
The quiz time was a short spell in a morning busy with reading, writing and listening activities in the second-grade classroom.
Kieran, who has cerebral palsy and uses crutches to walk, kept pace with the schedule. He readily moved around desks, chairs and tables, and from one academic assignment to another.
"He puts forth a lot of effort," Judi Visnosky, his teacher, said. Kieran is among 12 students in her class. At the beginning of the school year, Visnosky said, she moved a table to make room for Kieran's wheelchair, but otherwise there has been little need for other accommodations.
He is treated just "like everyone else," Visnosky said. Kieran is part of the group, she said.
He sits on the floor with classmates during reading time, participates in question-and-answer sessions and plays in gym class.
Coping with the challenges of cerebral palsy seem an accepted part of daily challenges for Kieran, who said his favorite class is gym.
His physician, Dr. Joseph Dutkowsky, said he hopes the sight of crutches and wheelchairs used by children with CP will "melt away," and that people will grow to know Kieran and others as individuals with goals, desires and other human attributes.
Keirstan and Tom Jennings, Kieran's mother and father, are among parents, physicians, physical therapists and children's advocates who signed up
for the Bassett-Columbia Symposium on Cerebral Palsy, held at The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown on Friday. The program, organized by Dutkowsky, was designed to provide updates on available treatments and venues to discuss the effects cerebral palsy has on individuals and their families.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that have an impact on a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. The condition is caused by an injury to parts of the brain, or as a result of a problem with development, the CDC said. Often the problem happens before or soon after birth.
Dutkowsky, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Bassett Healthcare, said the condition is an injury to transmitters, or the motor part, of the brain. CP must never be confused with mental retardation, he said, and most people with CP have normal intelligence.
According to the CDC, one in 278 births in the United States results in a child with CP.
More infants with low birth-weights are being saved through skills of medical staff, Dutkowsky said, and the result is a growing number of individuals with CP in schools, work places and communities. Research also is advancing treatment for CP, which gives hope to families and patients, said Dutkowsky, an associate clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University. His seminar topic at the symposium focused on how children with CP make a transition into adulthood.
Bassett Healthcare and NewYork Presbyterian, the hospitals of Columbia and Cornell universities, were symposium sponsors.
Early diagnosis, early intervention
Kieran was born prematurely and spent two months in the neo-natal intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center, his parents said, and he battled fungal meningitis.
Physicians were "very careful to not say" Kieran had cerebral palsy, Keirstan said, but a physical therapist confirmed the condition when Kieran was 6 months old. Tom said he remembers the milestone when a pediatric developmental neurologist said his son wasn't mentally disabled; Kieran was 10 months old, he said.
Keirstan said the fact that she and Tom were teachers in the Oneonta School District helped them feel confident about the support and instruction their son would receive.
She teaches art, and Tom is in his second year as a principal at Schenevus Central School, after having taught social studies at Oneonta High School. Before Kieran started school, each parent took two years off work to be home with Kieran and give him the hours of daily physical therapy he needed.
The Jennings said they remembered when Kieran asked about how long he would have cerebral palsy.
Kieran one day asked, "When I'm in second grade, will I have CP?" Yes, his father replied. Third grade? Fourth? Yes. Yes.
Keirstan said she was holding back tears. Tom told Kieran, "You'll have it all your life."
After a thoughtful moment, Kieran asked if they could go to Ruffino's Pizzeria for dinner.
Kieran attended pre-kindergarten at Greater Plains Elementary School and kindergarten and first grade at Valleyview. His parents said his teachers and the school staff worked hard to make Kieran's academic and social experiences successful.
More second-grade lessons
Teaching assistant Marilyn Bailey is an integral part of Kieran's community. She said she meets Kieran as he gets off a school bus in the morning, is nearby most of the day to help with academic and physical tasks and sees him to the bus after school. When he needs help, she is there. She is a partner in relay races, she said, and they sing in the elevator when no one else can hear them.
"He's just a delightful child," Bailey said. "He has a sense of humor. ... He's very agreeable,"
In the classroom, Kieran has a chair with wheels on the back legs. When at his desk, he uses a seat belt to prevent falls. He will walk, using crutches, to move about the classroom, and a wheelchair always is nearby for use in case of an emergency.
Kieran has trouble with zippers, she said, and he is rather easily distracted. Sometimes wanting to help him is a natural inclination, she said, but the greater goal is teach him to do things for himself and develop skills to further the independence he already is showing,
"He's very independent, but he's still learning," Bailey said. "I'm just there `in case.' ... I'm still learning to work with him."
Hard work leads to success
Tom Jennings said, with a smile, he wants Kieran to become an "alpha male." Jennings said he hopes his son becomes ambitious, self-sufficient and is happy. His son must continue physical activities throughout life, he said, and he is wondering about weight-training and future sports participation. His mother said she hopes Kieran will go to college and "finds a job he loves."
Kieran already has gained self-confidence that grows from facing and succeeding at challenges every day, Tom Jennings said.
"Hard work trumps talent _ every time," he said. "He's learned that if he doesn't quit, he'll succeed."
That earned success is an important lesson that some adults haven't learned, the Jennings said. They also attribute Kieran's success to the work of physical therapists who refused to let him quit.
Liam Jennings, 9, a fourth-grader at Valleyview, said his favorite activity with Kieran is to "run around and wrestle."
"Kieran is the best brother," Liam said.
Tom Jennings said Kieran is a hard-worker, empathetic, kind and inclined to play well with other children.
Skyler Payne is a classmate who enjoys spending time with Kieran, the teachers said.
Skyler, 6, said he and Kieran like to play with Matchbox cars and color.
"We also love Monster Jam and Transformers," Skyler said. They play catch, and Skyler said when they play tag, "I walk slow." Kieran is a "100 percent" friend, compared to others who are "99 percent," he said.
"He really is a good friend to me," Skyler said. "And I am really a good friend to him."
26 September 2009
Amputees get Wii Fit
Amputees are using Nintendo Wii Fit equipment during training sessions as a way of improving their balance and stability.
Every Thursday patients from across the borough meet at Callaghan House in Heywood to go through a tailored exercise programme that improves their strength and stability after having an amputation.
Sharon Wright, Lead Physiotherapist for Amputee Rehabilitation, believes that using the Wii Fit has massive benefits for her patients. She said: “We work with patients for from four months to two years so it’s important that we find new ways of keeping them interested in their exercise and motivated to complete their training.
“After what has been a traumatic experience, the weekly sessions allow our patients to gain back some independence and meet others who know how they feel. Health professionals from the Manchester Disabled Services Centre (MDSC) also attend the sessions so patients don’t have to travel far for appointments, which can be difficult.”
Alan Carouthers, 71, from Rochdale, has been attending the sessions for five months. He said: “I first came with the hope of being able to walk again and started off doing lots of different exercises and physiotherapy. The Wii Fit is great. It is a challenge but using the slalom and football skills games has helped with my balance tremendously and of course it’s great fun.
“It’s really important to come to these sessions because you meet people who understand how you feel but can have a laugh at the same time. It has really built up my confidence and boosted my morale and I’ve been able to make some great friends.”
Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Community Healthcare in conjunction with Rochdale Amputee Support Group purchased the Wii Fit equipment using a donation from charity Joining Hands for patients to use as part of their weekly exercise rehabilitation programme.
Help and support for amputees and their families can be found through the Greater Manchester Amputee Support Group, which was founded in 2004 by Malcolm Jones, from Rochdale. Malcolm founded the group after becoming an amputee himself and finding he needed more support. He said: “Having an amputation is a traumatic experience so it’s important that people have a support network once they leave hospital to help them and their families adjust.”
The group meets at Rochdale Infirmary on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm in the Rochdale Infirmary outpatients waiting room.
Every Thursday patients from across the borough meet at Callaghan House in Heywood to go through a tailored exercise programme that improves their strength and stability after having an amputation.
Sharon Wright, Lead Physiotherapist for Amputee Rehabilitation, believes that using the Wii Fit has massive benefits for her patients. She said: “We work with patients for from four months to two years so it’s important that we find new ways of keeping them interested in their exercise and motivated to complete their training.
“After what has been a traumatic experience, the weekly sessions allow our patients to gain back some independence and meet others who know how they feel. Health professionals from the Manchester Disabled Services Centre (MDSC) also attend the sessions so patients don’t have to travel far for appointments, which can be difficult.”
Alan Carouthers, 71, from Rochdale, has been attending the sessions for five months. He said: “I first came with the hope of being able to walk again and started off doing lots of different exercises and physiotherapy. The Wii Fit is great. It is a challenge but using the slalom and football skills games has helped with my balance tremendously and of course it’s great fun.
“It’s really important to come to these sessions because you meet people who understand how you feel but can have a laugh at the same time. It has really built up my confidence and boosted my morale and I’ve been able to make some great friends.”
Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Community Healthcare in conjunction with Rochdale Amputee Support Group purchased the Wii Fit equipment using a donation from charity Joining Hands for patients to use as part of their weekly exercise rehabilitation programme.
Help and support for amputees and their families can be found through the Greater Manchester Amputee Support Group, which was founded in 2004 by Malcolm Jones, from Rochdale. Malcolm founded the group after becoming an amputee himself and finding he needed more support. He said: “Having an amputation is a traumatic experience so it’s important that people have a support network once they leave hospital to help them and their families adjust.”
The group meets at Rochdale Infirmary on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm in the Rochdale Infirmary outpatients waiting room.
13 September 2009
Getting up the following day
Well after a bit of a unsettled night all seemed ok I was able to get washed and ready, the Mr Papastefanou came to see me as promised to see how I was doing and also to arrange for me to go and have an x-ray during the day. I said that I was feeling good and happy to get up with the Physio's when they came around. Luckily I didn't have to wait long after before they came. I explained to the Physio that I had my own way of getting out of bed, and that I would try it and if I struggled then I would use there way, and she was happy with that, so I rolled into action being careful not to pull my stomach too much because it was sore. I then said that I hadnt walked too far since October last year, but wanted to see how far we got. As soon as I stood up it was a odd feeling, although I knew that I was going to be ok walking some. Off we went into the ward and I manged slowly to get to the nurses station, and the Physio said well your safe for home as far as im concerned. I thought she was joking but it seemed not.
Anyway her assitant brought my chair and it was nice to sit down, albeit a little painful, but as soon as I got settled I was free and back in my wheels, so I could move around the ward and go off the ward with permission if I wanted too, but I didnt stray too far, because I knew it was coffee time soon and I was waiting for x-ray. Coffee came and I enjoyed it because the lady gave me some biscuits and on talking to her, we realised that she was the tea lady on ward 44 at Middlesbrougfh General when I got my back done 6 years ago, and she remembered me.
After lunch I saw the porter and I knew I was going for my x-ray, he asked me if I would prefer to get on the trolley here or down in the department. I said here, so the nurse who had been looking after me came and helped me onto the trolley and we left my chair outside the room for when I came back. I remember as I was getting on to the trolley my head went back and the nurse said you do everything with that head, because she knew that I kind of move myself with my head sometimes, but she also knew that if I didnt control it back and it fell back it can cause extensor spasms so she quickly supported me and helped me move better onto the trolley. The reason she knew about the spasms was because she also looked after me during first back surgery. We were off it sort of felt good as not left the ward since Tuesday and although it had only been 2 days I had forgot what my surroundings were like.
The x-ray didn't take long although I was quite tired by this point and I couldn't wait to get back to the ward so that I could go to bed. When we got back to the ward the nurse on duty could see that I was tired and uncomfortable, and gave me the choice of my wheelchair or going to bed, "bed please I have had enough for today", so they got a pat-slide and moved me into my bed and it was heaven, just to lay down, and wait for family to visit
Anyway her assitant brought my chair and it was nice to sit down, albeit a little painful, but as soon as I got settled I was free and back in my wheels, so I could move around the ward and go off the ward with permission if I wanted too, but I didnt stray too far, because I knew it was coffee time soon and I was waiting for x-ray. Coffee came and I enjoyed it because the lady gave me some biscuits and on talking to her, we realised that she was the tea lady on ward 44 at Middlesbrougfh General when I got my back done 6 years ago, and she remembered me.
After lunch I saw the porter and I knew I was going for my x-ray, he asked me if I would prefer to get on the trolley here or down in the department. I said here, so the nurse who had been looking after me came and helped me onto the trolley and we left my chair outside the room for when I came back. I remember as I was getting on to the trolley my head went back and the nurse said you do everything with that head, because she knew that I kind of move myself with my head sometimes, but she also knew that if I didnt control it back and it fell back it can cause extensor spasms so she quickly supported me and helped me move better onto the trolley. The reason she knew about the spasms was because she also looked after me during first back surgery. We were off it sort of felt good as not left the ward since Tuesday and although it had only been 2 days I had forgot what my surroundings were like.
The x-ray didn't take long although I was quite tired by this point and I couldn't wait to get back to the ward so that I could go to bed. When we got back to the ward the nurse on duty could see that I was tired and uncomfortable, and gave me the choice of my wheelchair or going to bed, "bed please I have had enough for today", so they got a pat-slide and moved me into my bed and it was heaven, just to lay down, and wait for family to visit
05 September 2009
New stretching technique debuts in valley
Active Isolated Stretching has had impact across nation
Stretching has long been considered an important part of maintaining a limber and healthy body. However, most men and women, whether they are pro athletes or an average exerciser, neglect stretching. In addition, how one should stretch is a constantly changing issue.
Working thousands of hours to develop a foolproof stretching method, Aaron Mattes, a registered kinesiotherapist and a licensed massage therapist, created Active Isolated Stretching, or AIS.
"I heard about Aaron through a friend of mine who had tennis elbow," said Sun Valley resident Kiril Sokoloff. "I was told Koby Bryant goes to Aaron after every game for four hours."
Sokoloff said Mattes is an extraordinary physical therapist and has a passion for healing. Mattes' method is used by professional and top athletes, and has been adopted by physical therapists and trainers at Zenergy at Thunder Spring.
"It is active isolated stretching, which is very focused on breathing," said AIS-certified therapist Winston Purkiss. "It is a short stretch hold of no more than two seconds. This is the most effective stretching method ever introduced to me."
Purkiss said Mattes is based in Florida and his AIS method came to Sun Valley because of Sokoloff.
"The method has received a research grant by the National Institutes of Health," said Purkiss. "My wife had a stroke and was unable to use her right arm. Sokoloff flew her to Florida to meet Aaron and she was able to drink from a glass. It is not a miracle cure, but it is a method that continues to be effective."
The AIS method is about movement. Mattes created stretches for people to do alone and with a therapist. The AIS method is in a book for $35 available at Mattes' Web site, stretchingusa.com. In addition, Mattes has a variety of inexpensive materials and stretching apparatus available on the Web site.
"You feel more energy through this method of stretching because of the oxygen going through the body to the tissues,; Purkiss said.; AIS helps Parkinson's disease patients, people who are wheelchair bound, stroke patients, people with bunion problems, people with cerebral palsy and those who have had replacement surgery for hips and knees."
Sokoloff is working on bringing Mattes to Sun Valley next June to expose more people to AIS and to do a full training seminar presented by Zenergy.
Lots of people in the valley do a lot of running, biking and a great deal of exercise and need to stretch properly," Sokoloff said. "My wife is pregnant, and she has been doing AIS and has not had any pain. We plan to have work done on our baby too. I believe in AIS. Young children can advance mentally and physically with stretching."
Valley resident Pat Schott, 45, is a full-time painter and avid cyclist. He said he was suffering from back pain and hamstring issues and was almost crippled when he ran into AIS therapist Diane Calvero. Calvero gave Schott AIS sessions at Zenergy, which sold him on the benefits of stretching.
Schott enjoys cyclocross racing and mountain biking; during cyclocross season he is racing every weekend. He said he is up and down ladders all day and the combination of his job and cycling does not do well for the body.
"It's the same breathing as yoga but different," Schott said. "AIS is quick and the results are immediate. I highly recommend AIS."
Appointments for AIS sessions can by made at Zenergy. They cost $85 for members and $100 for non-members. To make an appointment, call Personal Services Manager Mollie Holt at 725-0595, ext. 124.
Stretching has long been considered an important part of maintaining a limber and healthy body. However, most men and women, whether they are pro athletes or an average exerciser, neglect stretching. In addition, how one should stretch is a constantly changing issue.
Working thousands of hours to develop a foolproof stretching method, Aaron Mattes, a registered kinesiotherapist and a licensed massage therapist, created Active Isolated Stretching, or AIS.
"I heard about Aaron through a friend of mine who had tennis elbow," said Sun Valley resident Kiril Sokoloff. "I was told Koby Bryant goes to Aaron after every game for four hours."
Sokoloff said Mattes is an extraordinary physical therapist and has a passion for healing. Mattes' method is used by professional and top athletes, and has been adopted by physical therapists and trainers at Zenergy at Thunder Spring.
"It is active isolated stretching, which is very focused on breathing," said AIS-certified therapist Winston Purkiss. "It is a short stretch hold of no more than two seconds. This is the most effective stretching method ever introduced to me."
Purkiss said Mattes is based in Florida and his AIS method came to Sun Valley because of Sokoloff.
"The method has received a research grant by the National Institutes of Health," said Purkiss. "My wife had a stroke and was unable to use her right arm. Sokoloff flew her to Florida to meet Aaron and she was able to drink from a glass. It is not a miracle cure, but it is a method that continues to be effective."
The AIS method is about movement. Mattes created stretches for people to do alone and with a therapist. The AIS method is in a book for $35 available at Mattes' Web site, stretchingusa.com. In addition, Mattes has a variety of inexpensive materials and stretching apparatus available on the Web site.
"You feel more energy through this method of stretching because of the oxygen going through the body to the tissues,; Purkiss said.; AIS helps Parkinson's disease patients, people who are wheelchair bound, stroke patients, people with bunion problems, people with cerebral palsy and those who have had replacement surgery for hips and knees."
Sokoloff is working on bringing Mattes to Sun Valley next June to expose more people to AIS and to do a full training seminar presented by Zenergy.
Lots of people in the valley do a lot of running, biking and a great deal of exercise and need to stretch properly," Sokoloff said. "My wife is pregnant, and she has been doing AIS and has not had any pain. We plan to have work done on our baby too. I believe in AIS. Young children can advance mentally and physically with stretching."
Valley resident Pat Schott, 45, is a full-time painter and avid cyclist. He said he was suffering from back pain and hamstring issues and was almost crippled when he ran into AIS therapist Diane Calvero. Calvero gave Schott AIS sessions at Zenergy, which sold him on the benefits of stretching.
Schott enjoys cyclocross racing and mountain biking; during cyclocross season he is racing every weekend. He said he is up and down ladders all day and the combination of his job and cycling does not do well for the body.
"It's the same breathing as yoga but different," Schott said. "AIS is quick and the results are immediate. I highly recommend AIS."
Appointments for AIS sessions can by made at Zenergy. They cost $85 for members and $100 for non-members. To make an appointment, call Personal Services Manager Mollie Holt at 725-0595, ext. 124.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)