I found this short article and thought it was relevant and a good overview of osteopathy. An excerpt of the article is below.
What is Osteopathy?
"Former U.S. presidents and important political figures FDR, Eisenhower, and JFK all relied on osteopathic services for their health needs among many other famous figures then and now, and even though breaking the cycle of relying on doctors to heal us instead of listening to our bodies takes time, at least we are not solely looking to leeches for help. To find a DO in your area, look to The Cranial Academy to help your body heal itself through mental and physical osteopathic techniques."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
ACQUIRE Therapy (Pediatric Constraint Induced Therapy)
ACQUIRE Therapy is a new therapy to assist children with neuromotor disorders. It is based on Constraint Induced (CI) Therapy, also called Taub Therapy after its founder.
ACQUIRE is an acronym for:
Acquisition of new motor skills through
Continuous practice and shaping to produce
Quality movement of the
Upper extremity through
Intensive therapy and
Reinforcement in
Everyday patterns and places
The following is taken directly from the UAB Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic web site:
"ACQUIRE Therapy begins by casting the child's less-affected arm. A full-length, lightweight fiberglass cast is applied from the upper arm to the tips of the fingers. Then the cast is uninvolved so it can be removed by the staff once a week to check for skin integrity, clean the arm, and offer the child a few minutes of movement. The cast is then immediately placed back on the arm. The reason for applying the cast is to restrain the use of the less-affected arm allowing concentrated facilitation of the more-affected arm.
ACQUIRE Therapy begins the day after casting and includes play-based and functional activities to encourage your child to use the more affected arm. An ACQUIREc trained therapist will establish a close working relationship with your child in his/her typical environment. The therapist will provide intensive treatment for 6 hours a day for 21 days (some weekend days are included) over a 26-day period. The procedures are designed to elicit, facilitate, and refine voluntary control of the upper extremity. We will engage your child in many fun games and activities, with both familiar and new objects. We especially seek to have your child ACQUIRE useful movements and motor skills, and also to develop new confidence and independence in a variety of everyday situations."
Read more about ACQUIRE Therapy by downloding the ACQUIRE Therapy Brochure.
ACQUIRE is an acronym for:
Acquisition of new motor skills through
Continuous practice and shaping to produce
Quality movement of the
Upper extremity through
Intensive therapy and
Reinforcement in
Everyday patterns and places
The following is taken directly from the UAB Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic web site:
"ACQUIRE Therapy begins by casting the child's less-affected arm. A full-length, lightweight fiberglass cast is applied from the upper arm to the tips of the fingers. Then the cast is uninvolved so it can be removed by the staff once a week to check for skin integrity, clean the arm, and offer the child a few minutes of movement. The cast is then immediately placed back on the arm. The reason for applying the cast is to restrain the use of the less-affected arm allowing concentrated facilitation of the more-affected arm.
ACQUIRE Therapy begins the day after casting and includes play-based and functional activities to encourage your child to use the more affected arm. An ACQUIREc trained therapist will establish a close working relationship with your child in his/her typical environment. The therapist will provide intensive treatment for 6 hours a day for 21 days (some weekend days are included) over a 26-day period. The procedures are designed to elicit, facilitate, and refine voluntary control of the upper extremity. We will engage your child in many fun games and activities, with both familiar and new objects. We especially seek to have your child ACQUIRE useful movements and motor skills, and also to develop new confidence and independence in a variety of everyday situations."
Read more about ACQUIRE Therapy by downloding the ACQUIRE Therapy Brochure.
Friday, November 14, 2008
News Story about Hyperbarics
NBC 15 in Madison, WI published a story yesterday about a family doing hyperbarics at the same clinic we treated our son, the Wisconsin Interactive Hyperbaric Center.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Article Conclusion: Children Should be Allowed Access to HBOT
The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons published a great article in Volume 12 Number 4 - Winter 2007 reviewing and comparing the currently accepted therapies with HBOT in the treatment of cerebral palsy. I really appreciated the conclusion of the article, which is quoted below.
============
"Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy in the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy: A Review and Comparison to Currently Accepted Therapies"
Carole Sénéchal, Ph.D.; Serge Larivée, Ph.D.; Engelbert Richard; Pierre Marois, M.D.
Download article in PDF format
Conclusions
"Previous studies of HBOT in CP have shown noteworthy favorable results, but to produce conclusive evidence, additional, more systematic trials are needed.
Much is at stake. Improvement in the function, independence, and comfort of persons with a severely disabling neurologic conditioncould lead to significant improvements in health and quality of life as well as to significant cost savings in the long term. While other treatment modalities are paid for by government programs, parents must bear the cost of HBOT as the controversies continue.
In the meantime, given the very low risk of adverse effects and the promising results, children should be allowed access to HBOT."
============
"Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy in the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy: A Review and Comparison to Currently Accepted Therapies"
Carole Sénéchal, Ph.D.; Serge Larivée, Ph.D.; Engelbert Richard; Pierre Marois, M.D.
Download article in PDF format
Conclusions
"Previous studies of HBOT in CP have shown noteworthy favorable results, but to produce conclusive evidence, additional, more systematic trials are needed.
Much is at stake. Improvement in the function, independence, and comfort of persons with a severely disabling neurologic conditioncould lead to significant improvements in health and quality of life as well as to significant cost savings in the long term. While other treatment modalities are paid for by government programs, parents must bear the cost of HBOT as the controversies continue.
In the meantime, given the very low risk of adverse effects and the promising results, children should be allowed access to HBOT."
The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential
According to their website, The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential is a nonprofit educational organization that serves children by introducing parents to the field of early child development. They offer courses for parents at their campus.
I read "What to Do About Your Brain-injured Child", written by Glen Doman who founded "The Institutes" in 1955. I found some of the concepts in the book useful, such as patterning. The program they typically recommend is very time and energy intensive, which isn't for everyone.
I read "What to Do About Your Brain-injured Child", written by Glen Doman who founded "The Institutes" in 1955. I found some of the concepts in the book useful, such as patterning. The program they typically recommend is very time and energy intensive, which isn't for everyone.
Olympic Cool-Cap System
The Olympic Cool-Cap System is the only FDA approved device for the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term infants. It works by utilizing a unique cooling cap to provide selective brain cooling while maintaining core temperature at safe levels through the use of a radiant warmer.
Studies have shown that if used in the first six hours of life, the system can prevent or significantly reduce the severity of neurologic injury associated with HIE.
Studies have shown that if used in the first six hours of life, the system can prevent or significantly reduce the severity of neurologic injury associated with HIE.
- Brain-targeted cooling offers new hope for infants affected by HIE
- Neonatologists at Arkansas Children's Hospital treat first infant with the Olympic Cool-Cap System
- FDA Patient Safety News Featuring the Olympic Cool-Cap System
- CoolCap Trial, Treatment of Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
- Determinants of Outcomes After Head Cooling for Neonatal Encephalopathy
Monday, November 3, 2008
Harnessing The Power Of The Brain
Human beings driving wheelchairs and operating computers with only their thoughts...impossible, right?
Harnessing the Power Of The Brain
"People who are completely paralyzed due to illness or trauma are getting help communicating with a new technology that connects their brains to a computer."
Harnessing the Power Of The Brain
"People who are completely paralyzed due to illness or trauma are getting help communicating with a new technology that connects their brains to a computer."
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Advanced BioMechanical Rehabilitation (ABR)
ABR is a unique biomechanically based hands-on rehabilitation approach created by Leonid Blyum for children and young adults with brain injury. The therapy claims to bring about predictable recovery of musculoskeletal structure and motor functions.
ABR focuses on strengthening smooth muscles to restore the mechanical structure of the musculoskeletal system. Strengthening of the smooth muscles is suppose to induce gradual growth of internal pneumatic capacity, which in a cascade effect helps to re-establish - unit-by-unit - proper skeletal and muscular structure.
We have not done this therapy for our son because we don't feel it's necessary at this time. It's something we may consider in the future.
Check out http://blyum.com/ for more information.
ABR focuses on strengthening smooth muscles to restore the mechanical structure of the musculoskeletal system. Strengthening of the smooth muscles is suppose to induce gradual growth of internal pneumatic capacity, which in a cascade effect helps to re-establish - unit-by-unit - proper skeletal and muscular structure.
We have not done this therapy for our son because we don't feel it's necessary at this time. It's something we may consider in the future.
Check out http://blyum.com/ for more information.
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