Chris has started going to NeuroMotion to use the Lokomat walking system, here is some background,
NeuroMotion Physiotherapy is the only clinic in British Columbia to have a Lokomat®system in their clinic. The Lokomat is a gait orthosis that assists walking movements on a treadmill to improve mobility in individuals with various neurological and orthopedic diseases and injuries. Body weight supported treadmill training has been extensively researched and has been shown to be an effective method of improving recovery in individuals with neurological injuries and diseases.
The Lokomat consists of a robotic gait orthosis and a body weight support system that suspends the user over a treadmill. It has computer-controlled motors, precisely synchronized with the treadmill, that move the user’s legs through trajectories that mimic physiological gait patterns. The training parameters are individually set and adjusted to meet each individual’s needs. A wide range of training possibilities exist with the Lokomat as the therapist is able to adjust the amount of body weight that is supported, the joint angles, gait speed, and guidance force. By adjusting these parameters to the individual user’s needs, the therapist is able to optimize the functional training. Assessment tools built into the system, standardized measures, and functional goals are used to measure the patient’s progress.
In principle, all gait-impaired patients, whether the cause of the impairment is cerebral, spinal, neurogenic, muscular, or osseous, can be trained with the Lokomat system. Most of the data gathered to date on the Lokomat system is based on experiences with patients with spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.
Chris' session will be posted on Utube for all of you to see, as soon as I can figure the connection out.
Speech, Physio, and OT are all secured to continue, even though the manager at Fraser Health's ABI program tried to shut it all down. We have overcome most of the obstacles created by the system, Fraser Health and those who would interfere or stand in the way of progress.
The CSIL program we have fought for, for almost three years has again been stopped. This is now the second time we have had it taken away, without just cause, as the rules for us seem to differ and the definitions used for being a part of the program do not apply to us, we seem to get special attention the wrong kind, with us having to pass through a microscope of constantly changing rules. It is amazing how the personal feelings and preconcieved notions of a few can ruin the lives of so many. This belief that people belong in an extended care facility if they are not able to care for themselves has got to change and reflect the peoples needs on a person by person basis and not lumped together as an average. These problems have hounded us for our whole journey to-date and continue as we try to move forward!
We will endeavour to move forward walking around the obstacles we encounter, I feel that in the not so distant future we will be required to start turning over those rocks and walking over the obstacles. It always astounds me how those with nothing to lose and who have no accountability create all the problems?
Till the the next update, which will be after Chris' next session.
Thank you,
Kevin
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