Florida Hospital Ctr. for Rehab. & Sports Medicine

teesieme · 07-07-2003, 04:28 PM

Hello. I have been wanting to share some info. and second person experience (being mom) with you about this rehabilitation center. I hope that through this post I portray a high sense of both professional and positive enviroment as they so very much deserve. Let me begin with a brief summary of what it was I had been seeking for my son who is just over a year post T5 & T6 injury, first complete and then incomplete as his sensation return has been good, his sense of awareness and otherwise also, yet to this day he has not moved his toes on his own nor even lifted his leg and yet...I won't go into detail about it all but since his injury he has had improvements no matter how slight or minimal, they have been there. I felt that any improvement was worthy to note that he was still recovering little by little. And to me, that meant that with time there was also a need to make the most of just that. So I searched for a place that would offer the types of therapy I could not find close to home and decided to search in his father's new state of residence...Florida. His physician here, a most wonderful doctor agreed to the type of therapy I was wanting for my son and what he was trying to find, so I continued my search(which was not easy from a computer here in Minnesota, thus another reason I share this with you...) I came across a website as follows: www.fhsportsmed.org and I called, just to see, after striking out over and over again here and there. I had found a Florida sci physician (thank you Dr. Creamer) through another message boards advisement that happened to refer his patients to the Florida Rehab. above and as I asked this center about thier programs and what they had to offer, what they were about, what they believed in, I was impressed with the very first conversation with how they approached sci and the therapy programs offered. I then asked if they would help me to find a way for my son to be accepted within thier program through our insurance and what have you, and they did all that they could to do rather quickly (thanks Angelina). For what they offered was both out-patient therapy including physical therapy, pool therapy, advisement/guidance in body building through a health club close by that has sci equipment and a program called:
Neuromuscular Retraining/Biofeedback. With the blessing of two therapists by the names of Brenda and Angela my son went from needing assistance to balance on his knees while his arms were outstretched to within a few weeks being able to do so unassisted and able to pull his knees forward some while kneeling. His first biofeedback revealed that he had about 30% left side and almost 60% right side unconscious connection going between his brain and at his injury site and just below. Within one week of using this biofeedback and through training in pt, he brought his left and right to an equal percent closer to 70%. Each week they tested lower into his L's and worked toward building his abs and trunk control which they did so much that he is now using leg braces and slowly but surely walking with a walker while using his hips and upper quads to do so. He returned home looking so much healthier and feeling it all around, his independence even more established. They were wonderful for him, the rehabilitation most excellent and honest enough to where he learned and saw first hand that sometimes this doesn't help some to gain motor improvements but it teaches one to work with what they have and thus a healthier body and mind. His discharge percentage in those six weeks is reported as follows: remember now, he is a T5 & T6 with a T4 subluxation injury.
T2-4 = 59% and 68%
T4-6 = 68% and 94%
T6-8 = 68% and 80%
T8-10= 74% and 71%
T10-12=51% and 41%
T12-L2=27% and 18%
L2-4 = 11% and 11%
This was a weekly test at each level with the last two levels out of time to improve upon with the aide of the biofeedback as it was time to come back home but it revealed that in his hips, thighs and even into his calves there was a percentage going through which means there is something there after all.

I share this with you because I have to wonder just how often there truly is something so many tests and old school ways do not reveal after all. Even if my son may not walk some day again without aide assistance of sorts, I want for him to remain as healthy as he can be for his today and tomorrow's possiblities. These therapists and the Florida Hospital, in Orlando strive to work towards helping people improve and learn an overall healthier way of life, whether or not there are those "connections" going through, as for some there hasn't been but for others there are...they are incredible people! TY.

Chris Chappell · 07-13-2003, 01:11 PM

Great post teesieme.

Thanks for the testimonial and best of luck with your son's continued progress.

Hopefully others will benefit as well.

07-07-2003, 04:28 PM	#1
teesieme Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: back home in mn. Posts: 1,236	Florida Hospital Ctr. for Rehab. & Sports Medicine Hello. I have been wanting to share some info. and second person experience (being mom) with you about this rehabilitation center. I hope that through this post I portray a high sense of both professional and positive enviroment as they so very much deserve. Let me begin with a brief summary of what it was I had been seeking for my son who is just over a year post T5 & T6 injury, first complete and then incomplete as his sensation return has been good, his sense of awareness and otherwise also, yet to this day he has not moved his toes on his own nor even lifted his leg and yet...I won't go into detail about it all but since his injury he has had improvements no matter how slight or minimal, they have been there. I felt that any improvement was worthy to note that he was still recovering little by little. And to me, that meant that with time there was also a need to make the most of just that. So I searched for a place that would offer the types of therapy I could not find close to home and decided to search in his father's new state of residence...Florida. His physician here, a most wonderful doctor agreed to the type of therapy I was wanting for my son and what he was trying to find, so I continued my search(which was not easy from a computer here in Minnesota, thus another reason I share this with you...) I came across a website as follows: www.fhsportsmed.org and I called, just to see, after striking out over and over again here and there. I had found a Florida sci physician (thank you Dr. Creamer) through another message boards advisement that happened to refer his patients to the Florida Rehab. above and as I asked this center about thier programs and what they had to offer, what they were about, what they believed in, I was impressed with the very first conversation with how they approached sci and the therapy programs offered. I then asked if they would help me to find a way for my son to be accepted within thier program through our insurance and what have you, and they did all that they could to do rather quickly (thanks Angelina). For what they offered was both out-patient therapy including physical therapy, pool therapy, advisement/guidance in body building through a health club close by that has sci equipment and a program called: Neuromuscular Retraining/Biofeedback. With the blessing of two therapists by the names of Brenda and Angela my son went from needing assistance to balance on his knees while his arms were outstretched to within a few weeks being able to do so unassisted and able to pull his knees forward some while kneeling. His first biofeedback revealed that he had about 30% left side and almost 60% right side unconscious connection going between his brain and at his injury site and just below. Within one week of using this biofeedback and through training in pt, he brought his left and right to an equal percent closer to 70%. Each week they tested lower into his L's and worked toward building his abs and trunk control which they did so much that he is now using leg braces and slowly but surely walking with a walker while using his hips and upper quads to do so. He returned home looking so much healthier and feeling it all around, his independence even more established. They were wonderful for him, the rehabilitation most excellent and honest enough to where he learned and saw first hand that sometimes this doesn't help some to gain motor improvements but it teaches one to work with what they have and thus a healthier body and mind. His discharge percentage in those six weeks is reported as follows: remember now, he is a T5 & T6 with a T4 subluxation injury. T2-4 = 59% and 68% T4-6 = 68% and 94% T6-8 = 68% and 80% T8-10= 74% and 71% T10-12=51% and 41% T12-L2=27% and 18% L2-4 = 11% and 11% This was a weekly test at each level with the last two levels out of time to improve upon with the aide of the biofeedback as it was time to come back home but it revealed that in his hips, thighs and even into his calves there was a percentage going through which means there is something there after all. I share this with you because I have to wonder just how often there truly is something so many tests and old school ways do not reveal after all. Even if my son may not walk some day again without aide assistance of sorts, I want for him to remain as healthy as he can be for his today and tomorrow's possiblities. These therapists and the Florida Hospital, in Orlando strive to work towards helping people improve and learn an overall healthier way of life, whether or not there are those "connections" going through, as for some there hasn't been but for others there are...they are incredible people! TY.

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07-13-2003, 01:11 PM	#2
Chris Chappell Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 6,608	Great post teesieme. Thanks for the testimonial and best of luck with your son's continued progress. Hopefully others will benefit as well.