What is it about?
Two people who came back from a brain surgery centre after drilling of holes in the skull to drain clots were in a drowsy state with full paralysis of the limbs, weeks after neurorehabilitation. One of then had already developed a rigidly bent knee. They were both bed bound. They remarkably improved to wakefulness, restoration of muscle power in all 4 limbs and regained the ability to walk again with a wheeled zimmer frame and assistance of one person. This enabled them to leave hospital and return home through further walking practice in a rehabilitation facility.
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Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Just practising functional tasks with severely affected people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries may leave them bed bound and put them at risk of developing rigidity. This paper demonstrates proof of concept importance of treating brain injuries at the source of the problem if preventable prolonged paralysis and rigidity are to be avoided.
Perspectives
Source of the problem rehabilitation is key to avoiding preventable prolonged paralysis and spasticity. Just practsing tasks does not work with severely affected drowsy patients as they cannot participate in the tasks. They end up being labelled as having poor rehabilitation potential and thus receiving less priority hence less rehabilitation, further worsening their outcomes.
Mr Benjamin Chitambira
Neurorestorative and Neurorehabilitation Solutions Ltd
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Novel use of optokinetic chart stimulation to restore muscle strength and mobility in patients with subdural haemorrhage: Two case studies, Brain Injury, April 2013, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2013.775480.
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