HyperMED - Dion McCafferty - T6 Incomplete - South Africa

Posted by Dion McCafferty at http://myprojecttowalk.blogspot.com/

Hi I’m Dion; in Feb 07 I suffered a T6 spinal injury in a car accident in Cape Town, South Africa. I was the passenger - this is my journey to walk again!

South Africa offers very little as far as activity based spinal rehabilitation; you’re told very early after the accident that this is as good as it gets and to learn to accept your disability! I have never been one to sit back and wait for a miracle; I have constantly pursued many forms of rehab that may help; I also spent time at Project Walk in the USA and over time I have made incredible gains.

I am now able to walk with a walker but with a great deal of spasticity. I am very active in the gym and I spend a lot of time on a stationary spin bike. I have come to Australia because of the intensive program offering Hyperbaric and Lokomat. My desire is to get more function and realize my dreams and be able to run on the beach again with my kids.

From: Dion McCafferty [mailto:dion.mccafferty@gmail.com]

Sent: Tuesday, 17 February 2009 6:56 PM

To: 'Dr Mal Hooper'

Subject: De KAFF - Cape Town

‘Hi Doc - I just wanted to give you a quick note to say thanks a mil for everything. I can without a doubt say that the Hyperbaric and Lokomat training has changed my life. My functional gain after just three weeks of being at HyperMED is nothing short of mind blowing. My standing ability had increased to the point where I can now stand unaided for up to two minutes. My body is fighting me in my chair to ‘get up’ all the time. My wheel chair has become the most uncomfortable place in the world – (which is a problem because I am a para). I also managed to leg press 120kg at gym on Friday – not bad for someone who was told they would never walk hey!

 My Biokinetisis where blown away at the changes after such a short period on intense rehab with you. I am also walking short distances with regularity using my walker around the house and with mates. (I was able to stand with ease and have a couple of beers with my mates over the weekend and confidently know that I would only fall over if I was pissed. Ha ha!)

There has been one down side and that is that my spasticity and neuropathic pain has increased tremendously, I get a lot of hot flushes and burning in my legs and feet. But I also realize from previous function return that these are very good signs despite the discomfort. Thank again!

Regards, Dion’

Posted by Dion McCafferty - Thurs, Jan 15, 2009 - myprojecttowalk.blogspot.com/

 ‘Howzit! Just an update, for this week at HyperMED. The training on the Lokomat seems to have turned the corner, my legs today seemed to have stopped fighting the Lokomat machine as much and I did last week. I have had huge amounts of spasticity in my legs since using the machine as my body has been fighting the ‘new patterns’ it is learning through the repetitive walking motion. I have up until today been causing the machine to reset quite often as my leg spasms have been so strong. Today I did two one hour sessions where they were able to increase my walking speed and I was also able to walk almost 3km of on the Lokomat. So today was pretty damn good!  Dion’

HyperMED Comment – Dion has experienced considerable functional changes over the past 2-years using a ‘spin bike’ however when he walks his gait resembles the motion as though he is on a spin bike! Neural response ‘learn’ what they are being programmed. Dion has been programmed to spin bike NOT walk so part of our approach is to break down the inappropriate spin bike gait and teach a more ‘normal walking gait’. Lokomat retrains supraspinal (brain and brainstem control centres) and corticospinal tracts (spinal circuits) which are required to accomplish a walking gait! However, activity based rehabilitation is better than simply sitting in a wheelchair but remember – ‘what you train is what you accomplish’. Activity based rehabilitation must be accurate!