Well, the good news this month is on the walking improvements. My new PT says that I’m a textbook for the bioness device I rented (not approved by insurance…. yet!). Although the only thing the device really does is E-stim my ankle muscle when I lift my foot (sensor inside shoe) because I’m doing it in a functional way, its making a huge difference. I think, because its providing stimulation to my foot, it’s been impacting the whole muscle group function of walking. I’m able to walk longer distances b/c my ankle has been the weakest link in the chain. And I now spend about an hour a day just walking around he block. The increased use, combined with my awesome new pilates gal, where I focus on very specific, core movements, has been fantastic. I’m seeing nice improvements (dramatic for someone with my condition) thanks to the minute focus of pilates and the macro functional movement with increased rythmic walking. PT says she expects me to throw away the cane soon – yea — then we’ll see how long it takes to walk normally! I have no idea on that timeframe since cane was 6 mos longer than I wanted.
On the bad front, I got kicked out of hand therapy. The therapist said my left hand has plateaued and she doesn’t know what to do for it anymore. Neither do I, really. Hopefully biofeedback will help. I’m really out of ideas besides that one. Let me know if any of you guys have ideas!
Also a downer, I fell this week while doing my morning stretches and fell backwards on top of my left leg. It really hurt! And, I pulled a muscle and couldn’t walk around for a couple of days. Such a bummer. Honestly, this injury is like being 80 yrs old b/c you just have such little control over your body that falling becomes problematic. Last month I fell over and hit the floor head first. That didn’t feel good either.
Lastly, I’m off to Miami and the Biofeedback institute there. I booked this 3 mos ago as I was getting worried about my hands and so it’s coming at a particularly good time. Here is an explaination I found on the web for what they do:
“Biofeedback is a subtle training technique used to enhance mind-body control. By providing subjects with external audio or visual feedback of subtle nervous signals that reach the muscles, using electrodes to sense the signals, biofeedback provides a means for identifying, strengthening, and using these signals. Through this technology, biofeedback lets subjects know when they are changing their physical responses – such as nerve signal strength, body temperature, blood pressure, or heart rate – in desired directions. This information can be used to teach individuals to better control their body.
Under certain conditions, biofeedback can assist individuals with SCI to regain or improve functional usage of motor nerve cells in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord, which can lead to improved use of disabled limbs.
Dr. Bernard Brucker, Founder and Director of the Biofeedback Laboratory at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine, has developed an internationally recognized biofeedback methodthat uses precise techniques to restore lost functions in those with neural impairment, called the Brucker Method.”
I read on someone else’s blog that they doubled their motor function after going to the institute, but I think every case, like every spinal cord injury, is highly individualistic.
Lastly, I connected with a new yoga teacher (iyengar for my yoga friends) who taught yoga to a complete spinal cord injury student, and the student is now a yoga guru & teacher in Minnasota who teaches from a wheelchair. So, I’ll continue to explore this path as well. She was very encouraging about the body control one gets from yoga. Her example was that her student’s legs used to go every which way when he started and he got them to go perfectly straight in a “V” — which is a big deal when you can’t control your legs.
Cross your fingers and send good energy my way while I’m at Brucker.
xo
Tonya
