TBI and
Stroke are among the leading causes of acute and chronic disability in
Western countries. TBI occurs in more than 500,000 individuals in the United
States every year and may result from such causes as motor vehicle
accidents, falls, bicycle accidents, and other traumatic injuries.
Stroke is
among the leading causes of death in both Australia and the United States
for women and men, with an incidence of just more than 500,000 individuals
each year (USA). Stroke accounts for nearly one-half of all those
hospitalized for acute neurological conditions annually. Although the
majority of individuals who sustain a stroke survive, a significant
proportion of survivors require rehabilitation, and nearly one-third have
some type of permanent disability. Among those who survive stroke, 50
percent are alive more than five years after the event, which means that
rehabilitation needs continue well after the initial event. The
rehabilitation needs and goals of individuals with stroke vary considerably.
For some, the goal may be to return to full independence and resumption of
all previous life activities. For others, the goal may be to return home
with family assistance. Source: Stroke Foundation.
HyperMED Stroke Protocols
are unique - we provide saturative blocks of Hyperbaric Oxygenation
combined with Lokomat (Gait Training) and other supportive modalities
including Median Nerve Stimulation, Whole Body Vibration, immune
stimulating supplements etc to impact the disease process and salvage
back functionality.
Hyperbaric Oxygenation provides the available fuel and acts as a catalyst to
the underlying central issue (hypoxia). Lokomat (Robotic Gait Assisted
Walking) and other forms of intensive physical therapy are required to
‘drive’ neuroplasticity - the ability of the neurons in the nervous system
to develop new connections and ‘learn’ new functions. The rate of
neuroplasticity is directly impacted by the levels of continuing hypoxia
which blocks recovery!
This combined Hyperbaric Lokomat approach ‘awakens’ dormant neural pathways
and provides accurate neurological repetition enhancing and re-training
connections and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. Patients have the
ability to ‘salvage back’ what has been damaged improving brain and spinal
cord function - to regain walking ability or learn to walk!
What Happens With Stroke?
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Most victims of stroke have years of
progressive vascular insufficiency leading to a catastrophic event.
Those that survive have a long road ahead. Stroke recovery is slow and
many do not survive past 3-5 years due to 'secondary cascade
complications'
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The event of stroke causes widespread
hypoxic damage which can be measured on MRI - often referred to as
'encephalomalacia' which leads to progressive 'softening and
liquefaction' of the brain. Google search this term for additional
information. The MRI has a typical 'watershed' that delineates the area
affected by stroke. However many stroke survivors with further MRI years
later demonstrate expansion of the original watershed. This is due to
Hypoxic Induced
Apoptosis.
Hypoxia fosters progressive neurodegeneration compounded by
'learned non-use'
Why Does The Individual Progressively Lose Functionality?
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Experiments conducted on
neural impaired subjects demonstrate that neural
circuitry slowly 'learn' to shut down.
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Lack of appropriate and 'accurate' stimulation induces
functional incapacity called the ‘learning non-use’. Simply
stated if you teach the neural circuits to cease walking or to sit
they will learn 'non-use disability'. Refer to the 'rat study'
Do Wheel Chairs
Inhibit Recovery?
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Motor cortex centers in the brain
and spinal cord show signs of 'global functional
loss' due to localized encephalomalacia effects. It is imperative to keep
this ‘window open’
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Body Weight Support Treadmill Training (BWSTT) and more recent
studies on Lokomat (Robotic Gait Assisted Walking) demonstrate
the potential of functional neuroplasticity - the ability to
re-learn and re-organize function. Functional BOLD MRI
measures the capacity to retrain function in both the brain and
spinal cord neural pathways. The injured brain and spinal cord has
capacity to 'wake-up' - salvage back tissue damage, re-activate
and re-train dormant neural pathways improving functionality
