The treatment has made Tom feel stronger, he is now able to stand up and feel his legs on the floor bearing his weight.
In addition, it is noticed that he has less tone while sitting down on the chair during the day, and while working.
Physical Theraphist
Occupational Therapists
My name is Fedaa Semaan, I finished studying my Bachelor Degree in Physical Therapy at Tel Aviv University in 2015, since 2017 I have been working with people with physical and cognitive disabilities. In 2019, I started working in Ma'arag center, part of Cochav Hatzafon Association, a multi-disability, occupational rehabilitation center, that functions as a day care center for people with disabilities from ages 21 and older.
I work together with Khaula Morad, who is an occupational therapist that finished her Bachelor Degree at the University of Haifa in 2017 and since then she’s been working in Ma'arag center. In our treatments, one of our patients caught our attention and his name is Tom.
Tom is a thirty-year-old man with cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia and high muscle tone. He lives in a housing complex in Kibbutz Mezraa', and has been attending Ma’arag center 3 days a week since 2011. He is confined to a wheelchair and needs full help with all ADL tasks: eating, dressing, personal hygiene, transitions and toileting.
Tom does not speak, but he’s able to make sounds, he communicates using a communication computer system with a rich vocabulary called Grid 2 software. Tom operates the computer by two switches which he controls with the help of head movements. It is important to note that despite all his impairments, Tom is very motivated.
When I first met Tom, he was able to stand up on a TILT bed with a low incline for a maximum of 20 minutes. I started to work with him to increase the time that he stands every week until he stood up for more than 30 minutes at 90 degrees. Then I tried to make him stand up with a standing frame, which was very challenging, at the beginning he was able to keep the position just for 3 minutes, after a few months he got to 20 minutes with supports.
Despite the improvement we had achieved with Tom, and his high motivation, we felt that there was not much more to do with him utilizing the tools we had. We were certain there was another tool we did not know about, that could help us and Tom, to improve his functional and physical condition.
Soon after we learned about the MOVE program and with Jennifer's help, we started exercising sitting down on the edge of a bed with supports that were gradually removed.
We started teaching the body techniques for making steps while standing up with the support of a Rifton Pacer, to get therapeutic walking. At the same time, we noticed that the muscle tone was decreasing, and that Tom was more able to control the movements of his limbs.
In addition, Tom started participating in a ceramics group designed for people with severe physical disabilities, for the purpose of improving hand function, the group is held once a week with the participation of 5 patients. Since we started the method, when aiming for task-on hands Tom’s muscle tone drops significantly.
The treatment has made Tom feel stronger, he is now able to stand up and feel his legs on the floor bearing his weight.
In addition, it is noticed that he has less tone while sitting down on the chair during the day, and while working.
