14241 SW 120 ST Suite #107
Miami, FL 33186
Miami, FL 33186
Rehabilitation is crucial when a person has experienced a life-changing event such as a spinal cord injury (SCI) or some other medical problem that causes paralysis. There are different types of rehabilitation to improve various functions, but the overall goal remains the same. The purpose of the rehabilitation is to reduce the amount of pain you experience to a minimum and to increase your independence to its maximum.
With that in mind, we are going to take a close look at several different types of rehabilitation and the specific purpose of each one. Then we will look at a resource available to help anyone who is trying to thrive with paralysis rather than just survive. We hope this information shows why we are among the best spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers in Florida.
Exercise, in a therapeutic sense, accomplishes similar purposes to that of general training. You want to maintain and increase the strength of the muscles that are still functional. However, additional goals can include increasing the endurance or range of motion of certain joints and muscle groups. You may also need to improve your flexibility. All of this can make it easier to transition to a new way of having to do things.
When we are young, our brain and body learn to communicate to maintain balance and to carry out various tasks that we never think about later on in life. However, after an injury causes a degree of paralysis, you may find that your body struggles to maintain proper posture, even when performing a task as seemingly simple as sitting up.
Neuromuscular reeducation involves retraining the body’s balance and coordination systems to improve posture and the ability to sit or stand, depending on a person’s current level of ability. Evaluations may take place on an ongoing basis to see if progress is being made in regaining stability.
Traction of the cervical spine involves gently stretching the head away from the neck, either manually or with a device. This process can help to release tension in the spine and, therefore, may help with tension, stiffness, and pain. It may help to relieve spasms or pinched nerves. In this manner, the individual vertebrae are open, and both mobility and circulation may be improved. These are crucial elements in helping you to recover as much as possible because increasing blood flow to the spine is essential to the healing process.
Percussion therapy is critical to the recovery of muscles after a workout. It enhances the body’s ability to repair itself by increasing the flow of blood to the focus area. This is also vital when it comes to improving the range of motion. Therefore, just as this is important after a workout, it is also essential when you are dealing with paralysis or an injury. Blood flow increases healing, while the percussion therapy also works against inflammation, which can reduce mobility and cause pain.
You may have seen late-night infomercials boasting how vibration trainers help people to lose weight and get toned up. While the use of vibration training for this purpose may or may not have the effects people hope for, it does have a medical application. The vibrations force the muscles to respond reflexively. Therefore, muscles that a person no longer can activate themselves may still receive some training.
Vibration training serves the same purpose for non-functional muscles that exercises provide for the rest of the body. You may experience more strength and flexibility in these muscle groups. Blood circulation may be improved, which is useful for optimizing healing. Flexibility improvements and a decrease in pain levels may also occur.
Thus, vibration training, while it may have limited benefits for someone who could just be working the muscles on their own, can have incredible benefits for someone who is living with paralysis. At iAM ABLE, we use a Functional Electric Stimulator (FES) to activate the muscles.
For those who have temporarily or partially lost the ability to walk, gait retraining is a necessity. The Lokomat machine that we use at iAM ABLE is a state-of-the-art gait retraining machine that we are thankful to have due to a generous donation from The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. The patient is suspended in a harness and attached to a robotic exoskeleton. The machine then moves the legs in a natural walking pattern that helps to retrain the body and brain to work together to walk. This device alone secures iAM ABLE as one of the best spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers in Florida because we have the only one of these machines in the southern part of the state.
At iAM ABLE, our goal is to take people from surviving paralysis to thriving with paralysis. While any degree of paralysis is going to change your life forever, you can overcome the challenge and take control of your situation. You may never grow to be okay with your new set of circumstances, but you can still have a happy and productive life.
That’s why we want to share with you a remarkable book entitled: 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to Thrive After Paralysis. It will take you from the very beginning of your journey and efforts to regain independence, encourage you to connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges, and inspire you to take care of yourself.
You may have to work harder for it than most people, but you can still have a beautiful and purposeful life. To be among the best spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers in Florida, iAM ABLE is proud to offer this life-changing publication.
Grab our free e-book 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to THRIVE after Paralysis by clicking the image below.
