Beaming with Joy

I sit here now just amazed at what is happening. This morning in an earlier reply I was commenting how how my son when he was sleeping was moving his feet tapping his toes in a dream state dreaming about something that made him escape his reality. I was thinking if he can do this asleep why doesn't it work while he is awake.

Today is the day we increased his Neurontin up to 600 mg a day.. He will be on this for 7 days then up it again to 900mg's.

I made turkey bacon and bruchetta and poured his bowl of cereal had to get him stretched first and up into his chair. I did all his range of motion movements and told him about his dream feet tapping away. I grabbed his right foot and said you gotta be able to do this somehow if you can do it sleeping. I moved his toes back and forth and said no look at them.. focus on them and tell them MOVE.. I thought I saw a flicker of movement. Then again he did it and I felt somthing in the bottom of his foot move a little. He did it again and sure enough he could move his toe back and forth short slow movements. We did this several times until he was smiling so big I almost started to cry. He told me how hard it was to do that it was like trying to push 1000bls with his toe to make it go. I feel like we hit a Mile Stone and just had to log it here.
Matt sat himself up in the bed he then pulled his legs over the edge. He can now push the right leg forward and pull it back with gravity. It just made my day to see all this.

To be continued..........

By Learning1
Posted June 23, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Report post

Great news.

I've seen some of your other posts and seen the mental hurdles.

Something has begun. The challenge now is to maintain the progress and help the body get past the swelling, scar tissue, revive the dormant neurons, and restore the connections.

Different types of stimulation have apparently helped.
One interesting one has a news article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3701365.stm and at: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/college.asp?P=5155
Basically what the article says is that pulsed magnetic therapy, used on the scalp, seems to help. One of the researchers said: "We think it works by strengthening the information leaving the brain through the undamaged neurons in the spinal cord. It may work like physiotherapy but instead of repeating a physical task, the machine activates the surviving nerves to strengthen their connections."
Basically what the article says is that the technology seems to work like phyiscal therapy in awakening dormant neurons.

I understand that the only formal reported study on Scenar use for SCI, done in England in about 2002, indicated the same thing - use of a Scenar seemed to help send signals to the brain seemed to enhace the effects of physical therapy in helping the body awaken dormant neurons.

By angelbrd67
Posted June 23, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Report post

I will talk to his Physiatrist about this kind of treatment. His injury is so bizzar... The first MRI showed like white matter in the cord at the T-6 area and it went down to the T-11 area they couldn't figure out what it was or where it came from...so they did IV steroids mass doses for 10 days and then did IVIG infusions. Then the day we left the hospital they did an MRI and it was clear there was good blood flow to the spinal cord and the cord was clear nothing there. They now are saying its the out lying nerves that were injured the vessels that are so small they can't pick them up with dye testing and its going to take time to see how much recovery he can get back.

We are using a Empi unit.. it is electrodes that re-educate the muscles how to work. We also stand a lot and he will get his leg braces this week as well.
and will be fitted for a standing frame on friday. I do massage on him twice a day and make him nuts making him move his new waken up area's several times a day off and on to keep that movement going.

It would be neat if this thearapy was available here in Florida... we will try anything.

By Learning1
Posted June 24, 2009 at 1:27 am
Report post

I wish you the best in finding something there for your son. Let's hope that the therapists in your region are more open to newer technologies.

From reading the small amount of information that is in the article, it does not sound like they were using a high tech type of magnetic pulse unit. One that has been around for years, that is even used in a number of hospitals for a number of problems like skin ulcers (pressure sores, etc) is a big unit made by Diapulse (mentioned by Laurence Johnston on his reference page on new complimentary treatments for SCI (http://www.healingtherapies.info/diapulse.htm). A small, inexpensive (runs about $300 plus shipping) magnetic pulser, which is apparenlty as effective for for many of the same things the Diapulse works on is a little pulser manufactured by Sota instruments out of Canada. It might take a bit longer, but if magnetic pulsing is all that is needed (i.e. if results do not depend on an overlay of frequencies), that might even do.

I understand that there are a number of therapists across the country that have units like the Magnapulse, Papimi, etc. (but these units range between $14K and over $40K in price), and more yet who apparently use some of the mat and cushion type magnetic pulsers (in the $1900 to $4,200 price range) (beemer, bk3usa, QRS, Magnopro, MRS2000). But most of the therapists who have these are more naturpoatic oriented ones. There are a number of places that sell the medium size mat & cushion type units on the internet. [examples include www.b3kusa.com and http://www.pemft.net/blog.html] I don't know how you would find a therapist who uses these in your area - you would have to ask. Most of the units are made in Europe, but some are made in North America. For example, the bk3usa unit is made in and sold from Florida and even has a rental program for those who are uncertain whether it will work for them.

By the way - you mentioned checking with your son's physiatrist regarding the technology. An exercise physiatrist I know out in Colorado, Glenn Streeter, is convinced that a lot of benefit can be gained for SCI by a combination of Cosmodic (a more advanced version of Scenar, with more regenerational abilities) and laser. But that is a different method to consider. Some info on that is on the LLLT post.

By Learning1
Posted June 25, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Report post

I forgot to mention - the exercise physiologist I mentioned in Colorado, Glenn Streeter, mentioned that one thing that would help most with SCI, both to prevent muscle atrophy, and to provide a vibration type stimulation to the muscles, etc, is a device called a vibration plate. The original ones of these are expensive - in the $2,000 to $4,000 range. But there are some fairly inexpensive copies which seem to do basically the same thing, just for a lot less money. The least expensive I've seen is one called the Quantum Body Fit, which is on sale at Showcase (http://shopatshowcaseus.com/) for $199.99 plus S&H. Most others copies are at least $399, and Glenn says that this price is less than his cost. I've picked up one myself, and got one for my friend with the T11-12 SCI. Glenn said that there is benefit for someone with a SCI if they can just sit beside it and put their feet on it when vibrating, for sitting on it, and whatever other use they can come up with considering the restrictons involved.

By angelbrd67
Posted June 25, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Report post

Hmmmmm...... I have a pad that vibrates and helps promote circulation.. I am going to try it on him!!! Hey anything that works we are trying anything and everything we can!

By angelbrd67
Posted July 9, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Report post

Thanks that was back on June 20th, since then he has gotten more of his toes to move, not big movements but some. We are still having issues with his tone... We are working with a Nurologist and with a Physiatrist to get his medications just right so we can see how much movement is just trapped by the tone and how much is really damaged.

Welcome to Inspire!

Explore topics in this journal entry and replies:

8 replies

Add to the discussion

You