On ABR and beyond...

Mind-Blowing Freaking Miracle... Pelvis Transformation in Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy

Usually I am quite reserved in progress descriptions that kids achieve with ABR – trying to avoid the hype and over-expectations. Typically I am more keen on outlining the specifics of the challenges that lie ahead rather than celebrating the achievements already made. And often enough parents find this style not the most motivating … but that’s the way I see the world:  whatever has been achieved as of today is already part of the past – so, let’s try to focus on the next step forwards…

By telling you this I just want to draw a bit of extra attention to what I am about to share with you today… because this time it is different… and even I cannot contain emotions … because it is indeed – a mind-blowing freaking  unbelievable miracle!

Well, I hope that I have your attention now :-)

… and probably you think that I am going to demonstrate a quadriplegic  child who miraculously went from horizontal incapacitation to running around and jumping on a single leg? – Sorry, not this time…

This type of stuff – “a developmental airlift “, or a “developmental helicopter ride”, that allows to skip phases of development – is cut of heavenly cloth. I am much more earth-bound.

Nonetheless the transformation that I am about to share with you counts on a scale of miracle as long as we stay earth-bound and realistic.

What I am going to demonstrate is an exceptionally rapid structural transformation of a classic distorted and merged quadriplegic pelvis following the “egg” work…

Let’s proceed to the video to have the entire case well illustrated…

I hope that I have managed to get you excited enough to sit through a 35 minute video…

First I wanted to charge straight through to the comparison of before and after – but afterwards decided that it is going to be of greater educational value for you to have it done in 3 parts:

• Normal pelvis structure and X-ray
• Typical pelvis of a child with quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy that ends up under the knife of an orthopedic surgeon with a massive intervention (bone cutting, metal screws insertion etc.)
• The “mind blowing freaking miracle” – amazing transformation of the pelvic structure in a severe spastic quadriplegic child following the “egg” rolling work delivered by the ABR superstar man – Alexander “The Great “from Greece :-)

And all that leads to a not so subtle hint – your child’s future is in YOUR HANDS – but these hands have to be skillful to extract the full potential that ABR work has for your child… – so you need to study and practice and pay attention to detail without rushing to “I got it –can I go home earlier?”

 

P.S. I am going to add a couple of final episodes to the previous video – “Cerebral Palsy and fascia science in a tea cup” – and I hope are going to appreciate the connection that my tea cup simple example of the relationship between a dense film-like membrane and porous underlying gel has with the specifics of skeletal transformations in Cerebral Palsy pelvis…

 

P.P.S. Comments and likes are most appreciated.

 

Fascia and Cerebral Palsy science in a tea cup

This is a mini-post that illustrates that sometimes valuable insights into the fundamentals of what’s happening to fascia and musculoskeletal structures as a result of challenges associated with cerebral palsy could be gained from most mundane everyday experience – from observations of what’s happening in a tea cup –literally…

Anyone who had a training by me knows that: 1) I am a tea fan; 2) that I have a tendency to leave cups with unfinished tea everywhere opting for the new cup of a fresh tea instead..

Well, I’ve been criticized for this untidy habit more time that I can remember – to no avail I must admit… However, sometimes there are some unforeseen bonuses that come out of it…

For the recent weeks I’ve been thinking a lot of how to visualize for parents the effects of fascia layers adhesion in case where the flow of the interstitial fluid is affected and how we can restore their proper division by means of  Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) as the Force Transfer Medium [well that’s the official title of “egg rolling” :-)]

So couple of days ago I looked at one of my cups with the tea leftovers from a previous day … and found and excellent illustration ..

I hope you are going to find that metaphor/ spatial homology useful and insightful

 

 Thanks …

As usual Facebook likes and comments are most appreciated

"Thrifty" Fascia vs "Lavish" Brain+Muscles approaches to cerebral palsy therapies introduced

I came back home a week ago after nearly 3 months on the road ... fortunately my family still recognized me... I guess it's the haircut ... :-)

Tons of materials accumulated during these months -- the teachings, the presentations and the comparisons of before/afters to do...

This year's round of assessment was very rewarding -- the ball rolling indeed works as expected -- probably even better! The improvements of the connections within the vertebral columns and the ability to connect the 'velcro attachments' of the shoulder blades -- are really quite amazing breakthroughs..

So my call to all of you esteemed ABR Parents-Therapists -- please do not skip learning courses... Ball rolling techniques are  continually upgraded empowering you to become a lot more effective and efficient... There is one thing that one cannot buy in this life -- it's time... and in the development of the growing child with cerebral palsy -- 1 hour of work done this year is probably worth at least 2-3 hours done next year --from the perspective of developmental yield...

I am going to provide you with a lot more of the technical teachings in a format of videos and practical tips in the forthcoming months -- we already accumulated tons of such teaching material -- and working through sorting it out...

So -- there is going to be a lot more opportunities for you to progress via doing your homework better.

However, direct hands-on teaching by an expert ABR trainer -- is always a major shortcut for you. That's how you can develop your skills faster and get those skills in action -- boosting your kids' development...

I started sorting out the presentations we did  with Mark during the visit to Hawaii -- in this post I am offering you the one that we did in the Rehabilitation Hospital of Hawaii.

It is far shorter than the main workshop that we delivered as part of the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities -- but maybe there is some advantage to this more compact format.

Couple of preliminary cover notes...

• Unlike the main ABR workshop at the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities  that was filmed with a professional camera by a videographer -- this on is filmed using a good old Flip  placed stationary on a mini-tripod with a superwide view of the entire room.

            I guess you'd realize that the quality is not supergood. However, it's not too bad either.

            First, most of the presentation is based on the powerpoint slides -- so I have inserted          them into the video -- making it a lot easier to follow the narrative.

            Second, I must say that the Flip is surprizingly good in recording the sound   considering the tough circumstances of filming.

            So I hope that your viewing experience is going to be reasonable enough to allow you        to concentrate on a content...

• The really interesting part is the fact that only through the circumstances of this particular presentation I understood how much of routine challenges an immersion of the new paradigm and methods face -- even when there is a genuine interest and goodwill.

            Let me paint a broader picture to help you to see the context...

            First of all -- the MD who is in charge of a Rehab Hospital team attended the             workshop that we did few days earlier and was very positive and receptive. He was   the one who actually "send" a group of PTs and OT -- 12-15 people -- to learn from         us.

            So, there was no resistance -- only goodwill. But... then the reality kicks in..

            Every therapsit has a significant workload scheduled days in advance...

            Only now I realized how significant are those logistical and administrative constraints within the existent healthcare model..

Frankly, a physical therapist in many instances has no more freedom than a worker at the assembly line -- it's a conveyor belt! Patient after patient, who have to receive a type of therapy that has been pre-aproved by the insurance companies and by referring physicians who are absolutely removed from any hands-on work with the patients..

How on Earth even the most enthusiastic and thoughtful individuals inside this profession are going to progress beyond the routines that they've been doing for decades!?

So to cut the story short -- the only time available was ... the lunch hour..

Well, it's a bit weird -- to introduce the ground-breaking concepts to the chewing crowd... :-)

However, on the one hand, even opera singers sometimes perform in front of the audience that eats and drinks, right? :-)

On the other hand, one can entertain the thought that the digestion of the "food for one's stomach" might facilitate the digestion of the "food for one's mind"....

I do not have much science to bakc this up -- but why not? :-)

On top of that, somewhere half way through the presentation ... the fire alarm went off! ...But as you all know -- I am loud and passionate enough not to be bothered by such minor inconveniences ...

 

So here we go ... this is a compact version of the presentation that introduces 2 key ideas:

• Connective tissue focus instead of the mainstream brain and muscles focus in interpretation of Cerebral Palsy
• Transition to the "Thrifty" Rehabilitation and Therapy based on connective tissue emphasis vs. the "Lavish" one that defines the therapies for Cerebral Palsy and brain-injury rehabilitation modalities today.

Part 1.

Part 2

Besides of going through these videos yourself I do encourage you to invite your PT, OT etc. to watch it as well... Hopefully, that will help your future communication with them...

Your comments are most appreciated. The more you say -- the more we'd be able to adjust and adapt the style and emphasis of presenation to help your 'inner game' development the most...