A team of physiotherapists was on hand to emonstrate functional electrical stimulation at Beyond Boundaries Live, the lifestyle event for people with disablities, in Farnborough, Surrey, last Month.
Pictured is GB wheelchair tennis champion Ian Payne working on movement restriction in his arm with Jon Graham, clinical director of Physiofunction.
Also pictured Jon Graham and Charlie King assess a patient for FES.
From walesonline.co.uk
New device gets stroke victim walking again
June 29 2009
THREE years ago Jeff Harris was a busy professional with a high-flying career as a research physicist.
He was a keen amateur athlete who had competed in 14 city marathons, completing each course in less than four hours.
But as he was preparing for his latest marathon attempt, it all came to an abrupt end in November 2006, when, without warning, he suffered a major haemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident – a stroke – with devastating consequences.
“It happened the day before I was due to fly out for the New York marathon,” said the 64-year-old, who lives near Chepstow.
“I was in peak condition – probably the best ever condition I’d been in before an event, yet in a split second my life changed forever.”
The stroke left Jeff paralysed down the left side of his body. He also suffered post-stroke pain caused by damage to the nerve endings and epilepsy, which has temporarily deprived him of his driving licence.
“It has been a terrible thing to come to terms with, and I feel a huge amount of anger at the way my life has changed so drastically,” Jeff said.
“However, one thing is certain, had I not been so fit when it happened, I would be in a wheelchair now.”
Following that fateful day three years ago, Jeff began the slow and painful struggle towards rehabilitation, including learning to walk again.
One of the problems affecting stroke survivors, if they succeed in walking again, is a condition called drop foot – the foot drags because the muscles that should activate the lifting mechanism have been weakened.
The condition makes walking long distances and walking up steps and stairs extremely difficult, and increases the risk of tripping and breaking a limb.
Jeff has been fitted with the Bioness L300 drop foot system, which is an advanced functional electrical stimulation (FES) – a wireless device that stimulates the muscles in the leg and foot via low-level electrical impulses activated by a hand-held control device.
The Bioness system, which was supplied by Cardiff company Dacey, transformed Jeff’s gait, enabling him to walk greater distances with relative ease.
He said: “I live in a village near Chepstow and I can now walk in the woods near my home, negotiating rough ground. I can now manage 10k in an afternoon – something that would have been unthinkable before.
“The Bioness system is far superior to the other FES system I tried because it is wi-fi, and therefore much more convenient to use.
“The friends I walk with have also noticed a marked improvement in my gait and speed. I can also use it to train my muscles while I am sitting down.”
Jeff has overcome immense obstacles to walk again and his ultimate goal is to compete in the 2011 New York marathon – the first step on the road to achieving that aim will be to take part in the Gower 10k race this autumn.
“I will have to take part in these events at walking pace, but the Bioness system has given me the confidence to tackle these objectives,” Jeff added.
He is using his experience to help others, and has become a motivational speaker, supporting fellow stroke survivors in their own rehabilitation.
Jeff is also vice chairman of the Chepstow Stroke Experience Group and chairman of disabled swimming group, the Caldicot Swans.
“My stroke was about as bad as it could be without it killing me, and the impact it had on my life was immense,” he added.
“When you have had a stroke you feel such a range of emotions – fear, anger, despair, frustration – and you feel so bad about yourself for losing so much mental and physical power.
“For me it was very hard to come to terms with, as I was so fit and active before, the type of person who always took the lead in things.
“But I owe the medical team in Chepstow Hospital so much – without the doctors, nurses and physiotherapists there I would not be functioning as I am today,” he added.
“Now I hope the Bioness system will continue to take me forward, so that I can achieve my goal of taking part in the New York marathon in two years’ time.”
From NME.com
Long Blondes' man hopes to play guitar with 'revolutionary glove'
Dec 1 2008
Dorian Cox says he is 'getting back on track' after stroke
Former Long Blondes' guitarist and songwriter Dorian Cox has revealed he is using a "revolutionary" mechanical glove to help him regain the use of his right hand.
Cox suffered a stroke in June 2008, leaving him paralysed down the right side of his body. He was left unable to play guitar.
The device being used by Cox, called a SaeboFlex, allows him to use of his wrist to grasp and release objects.
Speaking of his treatment, Cox explained: "It's a fantastic service, it's helping tremendously and I think it can work wonders for me and others – it's almost like a gym for my hand.
"I know things might never be the same again and nobody can give me a definite answer about whether I'll play guitar again, but I'm getting back on track with their help."
Cox also revealed details about how he initially dealt with his illness, telling The Daily Telegraph: "It was so strange because it came out of the blue and when I was told I thought 'I'm too young for this'. It was difficult to take in because I thought strokes only happened in older people and I'd always been in pretty good health.
"My right arm and leg aren't really usable so I can't play guitar. That was a nightmare because it meant the band couldn't carry on and my livelihood had suddenly gone. But it could have been a lot worse."
From thePress.co.uk
York musician's rock dream shattered by stroke
11:00am Monday 17th November 2008
HE toured the world, basked in the adulation of an army of
fans and his band was showered with critical acclaim – but
that all ended for Dorian Cox when he was struck down
with a stroke at the age of 27.
The shattering blow, which almost cost the York-born
guitarist his life, means he does not know if he will ever be
able to again pick up the instrument with which he made
his name.
Now the former strummer with indie rock band The Long
Blondes, who have called it a day following Dorian’s
crushing stroke just after returning from a summer US tour,
has revealed how he is determined to ensure his musical
days are not over – with the help of a York clinic which is
teaching him to restart from scratch.
Dorian, who was born in Acomb but formed The Long
Blondes with a group of Sheffield friends, contacted
PhysioFunction, which provides private specialist
neurological physiotherapy and is based at York Science
Park, after deciding he needed something more than
simply NHS treatment.
He says his weekly sessions there are moving him towards
his “ultimate aim” – being able to play guitar again.
That ability vanished in June, as Dorian explained: “The
day after we got back from the US tour, I was in a Sheffield
hotel when I fell to the floor without any warning – I still
don’t know exactly what happened.
“I was conscious and thought I just needed a hand to get
back up, but I was taken to hospital struggling for breath –
the NHS definitely saved my life.
“It was so strange because it came out of the blue, and
when I was told I’d had a stroke, I just thought ‘I’m too
young for this’. It was very difficult to take in because I
thought strokes only happened to older people and I’d
always been in pretty good health.
“I feel lucky it hasn’t affected me mentally – the
repercussions have been purely physical – but my right leg
and arm aren’t really usable as they were so I can’t play
guitar. That was a nightmare, because it meant the band
couldn’t carry on and my livelihood had suddenly gone.
“But it could have been a lot worse.”
Eventually, Dorian, who now lives in Doncaster, contacted
PhysioFunction in York and is now using various
techniques – including a Saeboflex arm training
programme which is “teaching me to use my arm again”
and muscle stimulation therapy – as he embarks on the
long road back to full health.
“It’s a fantastic service, it’s helping tremendously and I
think it can work wonders for me and others – it’s almost
like a gym for my hand,” he said.“I know things might never
be the same again and nobody can give me a definite
answer about whether I’ll play guitar again, but I do think,
with PhysioFunction’s help, I’m getting back on track.
Whether I like it or not, this has happened to me, so I have
to stay upbeat – there’s no point dwelling on it. If I want to
get back to how I was, I need to adopt a positive attitude.”
Why strokes don’t just affect the older generation
DORIAN Cox’s case proves the perception of strokes as
only threatening the elderly could not be wider of the mark.
That’s according to Sarah Daniel, who runs
PhysioFunction’s York clinic – which has been operating
since May – and is backing her ex-rock star client every
step of the way on the path to recovery.
“We specialise in treating any injury or condition which has
affected somebody’s ability to move because of damage to
their nervous system, such as strokes, head and spinal
cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease,”
she said. “This treatment can be available on the NHS,
which does great work – in Dorian’s case, we work in
conjunction with them – but stretched resources mean
there’s often nothing available to people after their initial
treatment.
“We decided to develop a private service to help clients
overcome difficulties with things such as balance, hand,
arm, leg and foot function, walking and muscle stiffness
“Our ethos is to maximise somebody’s independence and
allow them to do as much as they can for themselves.
Dorian’s ambition is to play guitar again. Other people
simply want to be able to dress themselves, but we want
all the people we help to be able to do things for
themselves and move their own recovery forward.
“Strokes don’t discriminate on age. We see a whole range
of people, from a girl of about 12 to people in their 80s.
“There are certain genetics which make some people more
disposed to strokes earlier in life.”
From icCoventry.co.uk
'Bionic' arm gives stroke victim hope
Jan 15 2008 By Catherine Vonledebur
FORMER EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan may be US TV's new Bionic Woman, but Coventry stroke survivor Tracy Ikeringill really does have a "bionic" arm.
The revolutionary £560 hand therapy unit was invented by American occupational therapists - and half-brothers - Henry Hoffman and John Farrell.
It allows stroke and head-injury patients to practise rehabilitation physiotherapy exercises at home.
Tracy, a 41-year-old IT support worker at Axa Insurance in Coventry city centre, had a stroke six years ago when she was 35, which left her completely paralysed down the left hand side of her body.
She said: "I was at work one day and I fell off my chair, then realised that I couldn't get back up. It took 10 days to sink in that I'd had a stroke. Originally I thought I could move my hand - but when I looked it wasn't moving.
"My Nan had a stroke but she was in her 60s. It turns out that I have a hereditary blood condition that makes me more prone to clotting.
"I was in hospital at Walsgrave for five weeks, then went to a stroke rehabilitation centre in Leamington for eight weeks.
"I can walk again now but I still cannot move my ankle.
"Work have been really good and helped me to come back gradually. I started back half a day a week and now work three days. I used to be a touch typist and can type quite fast now with one hand."
Tracy wears the bionic arm for 45 minutes a day while she is practising her physiotherapy exercises.
She can close her fingers but not open them, which is where the bionic arm comes in.
"It has built-in springs which help my fingers to open. I have seen more movement in my arm as a result. You can't get physio on the NHS a year after your stroke."
Tracy, who is married to IT land manager Clark, also aged 41, first heard about the Saebo hand-therapy unit at Coventry's Different Strokes support group for young stroke survivors.
Oxford Mail/Banbury Cake
Stroke patients helped by 'glove'
By Fran Bardsley
A NEW piece of equipment, which helps stroke patients regain use of their hands, has been introduced at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford.
Six spring-loaded Saeboflex 'gloves' have been purchased for the Headington-based centre's neuro-rehabilitation gymnasium, and staff have been trained to teach patients how to use the specialist equipment.
Training and assessment for out-patients will be on offer and patients who would benefit from the technology and are staying in the 16 in-patient beds will also be able to use the device.
Brian Green, 63, of Headington, had a stroke last year, spending weeks in hospital as a result.
He bought one of the Saeboflex gloves, which cost £557 each, two months ago and is already reaping the benefits.
He said: "Before I used it, I couldn't pick anything up or let go of anything and since I have been using it, I am able to pick up balls with my free hand after a session with it, do lots of things like open doors and the fridge and take the tops of jars.
"It's certainly made me a little bit more independent."
They told me at one point the hand and arm would take a long time to recover, but since using this it has come on in leaps and bounds."
The tool has proved highly effective, even for patients who were advised their chances for improvement were virtually non-existent.
In one case, in the United States where the 'glove' was developed, a patient was able to type, get dressed, and even begin to learn to play the guitar after a six-month period of treatment.
Senior NOC physiotherapist Jo Pierce said: "We're very excited about introducing this new way of treating patients.
"It's a relatively new rehabilitative tool that, as yet, is not widely used in this country - and not at all within the NHS or other specialist neurological rehabilitation treatment centres."
Occupational therapist Alison Bragg added that the equipment was of major importance to the treatment of patients.
She said: "It's very exciting, and we feel honoured that we are the first NHS unit to have the opportunity to use it with our patients."
Quotes
"They told me at one point the hand and arm would take a long time to recover, but since using this it has come on in leaps and bounds"
"It’s a fantastic service, it’s helping tremendously and I
think it can work wonders for me and others – it’s almost
like a gym for my hand,” he said.“I know things might never
be the same again and nobody can give me a definite
answer about whether I’ll play guitar again, but I do think,
with PhysioFunction’s help, I’m getting back on track.
