HEALTH & BEAUTY
“I just want to enjoy life and do things today as you never know what tomorrow will bring.”
program with senior physiotherapist Tamar where they work towards small goals three times a week. Stretching, moving and engaging his body, Saf has seen overwhelming changes since those first days at home.
When he came out of hospital, Saf had no core strength or central control and was slumped. Today, he doesn’t need to depend on his chair arms for support and has regained control of his arms and wrists. He might have wanted to be left alone originally, but now he can feed himself, sit upright and even hold his phone – things we all take for granted every day. His next goal is to sit on the sofa again to cuddle up with his youngest daughter watching films. “Tamar is a real torturer at times, but I know she’s here for me. She doesn’t use hoists or slings and is confident to move me which makes me believe in myself. I get a good run for an hour but I know I’ve done something physical.
“It’s the real, down to earth people like at Liberty and my carers who have given me the real strength. The work they do at Liberty is just amazing and a medical area I’ve never seen before. They’ve made me feel more ‘normal’ and helped me get some control back.” While progress has been good physically, Saf has had to accept that he can’t do clinical dentistry again but is still at the helm of his company. He’s also been asked by the Sheffield Dental Deanery to assist in helping young dentists that have just graduated.
“I loved the interaction with patients of all ages and backgrounds. There are not many people in Barnsley whose mouths I haven’t had my fingers in. Even my carer is a former patient.
“But the injury has made me look at life a different way. I was blinkered to the world outside of work and would have carried on at 100mph until I had a heart attack. Now I have the time to spend with my family and with the confidence of Liberty, we’ve even started looking at holidays.”
Now 48, Saf has started helping others in similar situations by writing disability blogs and talking to other dentists who are disabled. Knowing that the interaction with people is what has made his own life easier, Saf wants to set up a group in Rotherham where the disabled community can come together and talk about their issues and hopefully help each other.
“I used to say I’d give anything to have my legs back and I do hope that maybe I will one day. But I’m not pinning my hopes on it as I know it doesn’t work like that. My family wanted to send me to America for stem cell research but what if I lost the progress I’d already made? It made me realize I’d finally come to terms with it.
“I want to look back in five years and think yes I’ve been left disabled, but I’ve tried everything to make just a slight improvement, not be left thinking what if. Now I just want to enjoy life and do things today as you never know what tomorrow will bring.”
What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) has a devastating effect which will instantly change an individual’s life whilst also impacting on the lives of their families and friends.
Approximately 1,000 SCIs occur every year in the UK meaning that this tragedy will happen every eight hours.
Spinal Cord Injuries vary greatly, resulting in either Quadriplegia, Paraplegia or Cauda Equina dependent on the level that the spinal cord is damaged. The level of injury does not always correspond to the boney/vertebral level which can cause some confusion when referring to the classification of the level of injury. Quadriplegia occurs following injury to the neck between nerve levels C1-C8 and can affect the breathing and swallowing muscles. The head and trunk will lose control and both upper and lower limbs will be affected with total loss of movement and sensation in all muscle groups. Paraplegia occurs following injury to the mid and lower back, being thoracic and lumbar spine between nerve levels T1-T12. This will affect the lower limbs including loss of or impaired sensation with reduced or total loss of muscle function. Cauda Equina refers to damage to the nerves below L2 level. There is often loss of sensation in the lower limbs but there will be movement available in most muscle groups although these may be weakened.
SCIs are assessed to be either complete or incomplete based upon whether there is any movement and/or sensation detected below the level of injury. The assessment scale follows the American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA) protocol and injuries are graded A-E with A being most severe and E being minimal affect on the body.
Complete verses incomplete diagnosis in SCI can cause some confusion being that the cord may
be partially damaged at one level and yet still have the ability to send nerve impulses to muscles below the injury site. The ASIA scale has helped alleviate these problems although there can still be misdiagnoses made. The team at Liberty Physiotherapy assess and evaluate the muscle activity using Neuromuscular Energising Therapy (NET), a dynamic and unique treatment which can clarify the complete or incomplete SCI diagnosis.
If there is muscle activity below the level of injury it will be detected. However, if none, then we will be honest and discuss this with clients, keeping them fully included and informed throughout the assessment process. Terms such as ‘you will never...”, “you have plateaued” or “there is no further recovery” often cause further distress, anxiety and often depression.
Movement can occur despite loss of sensation and the experienced NET facilitator uses a ‘hands on’ approach to detect muscle activity and act as the sensory feed back to the client. The NET facilitator gathers more and more information using a range of movement patterns which can be a predictor of outcome. NET has assisted many individuals who have Spinal Cord Injuries. Most have regained significant recovery in muscle groups that had previously been unattainable. Many of our clients state that their lives have been positively changed having received NET treatment and that there is now a light at the end of the tunnel. We aim to release the full
potential for recovery and give hope where possibly none has been given before.
Have you been told you have plateaued in your rehabilitation? Let us help you take the next step along your rehabilitation journey
Specialists in the following neurological disorders: • Cerebral Palsy
• Spinal Cord Injury • Traumatic Brain Injury
• Stroke • Multiple Sclerosis • Parkinson’s
• Chronic neck and back conditions
Revolutionary Neuromuscular - Energising Therapy (NET)
A hands-on treatment technique that can open pathways to aid recovery, many years after the initial trauma.
Hollowgate House, Hollowgate, Rotherham S60 2LD
Tel: 01709 837752
email:
admin@libertyphysiotherapy.co.uk www.libertyphysiotherapy.co.uk
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