Skip to main content

Physiotherapy

Intense and consistent physiotherapy is a huge part of stroke rehabilitation.  So we look out for physiotherapists to come home twice a day.   Finding a good nurse, yes, we thought that would be some challenge.  But finding a good physiotherapist, didn’t know efficient ones were rare finds. 

In span of week we changed almost 10 physiotherapists.   One of the biggest issues turned out to be our father’s weight.  He was a big boy, weighing almost 80 kgs and with a height of 5 feet and 9 inches.  They just could not lift him.  It would take the physiotherapist, our nurse, our driver and one of us (my sister or myself) to make him stand.  However it all came down to our driver.   The physiotherapist would give directions and our poor driver would hoist our father.   So our main criteria - a physiotherapist who would not make our dear driver slave away.  Apparently that was too much to ask for.  Well, apart from this there were host of tiny issues  – most physiotherapists didn’t know how it make it participatory, they would treat our father as if he was comatose, some of them lacked good work ethics, and some, my sister simply just did not like them.

One day when I was frantically searching the net for some rehabilitation center in Chennai, chanced upon Pain and Stroke Rehabilitation Center.   Mr. Ravi, one of the primary physiotherapist from the center agreed to come for an assessment.    He was the first person we knew then who used a gait belt to handle our father.   We later learnt that it is only the Center (apart from couple of big hospitals) that pretty much used the belt in Chennai. 

We were very taken by his idea of rehabilitation and so far we have had almost three pretty good physiotherapists come to us from his center.   One Mr. Vishwanath from the Center has almost been the only one who could handle our father alone for assisted standing and walking.   For all this, he is not a giant of man to handle our father, so I guess it all comes down to skill.

Right now our father is yet to become independent.  He is gaining more truncal balance, his right side still is significantly hemiplegic – although we notice reactions and slight voluntary movements in his right leg.  He lifts his hips during physio and when he is in discomfort, and makes an effort to get up from the bed.   We should just keep at it for a significant breakthrough.  
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Narasipura Subbaiah Narayana Murthy

Somewhere in 2011 my good friend Rohan sent me a link to a documentary on Ayurveda .  It showcases different practitioners of Ayurveda, its  ninth part  caught my attention.  One, a patient in the film suffered from brain hemorrhage and two, the doctor (he is an indigenous healer / vaidhiyar, not a certified doctor) lived in Southern India which would make the travel not too adventurous.  I guessed the adventure part incorrectly. Sri Narasipura Subbaiah Narayana Murthy (the Doctor) lives ofcourse in Narasipura, which falls under the Shimoga district in Karnataka.  My research prior the travel showed that all one needs to do is to get to Narasipura or Shimoga and locals know the doctor's place. Our male cousin in Bangalore who is specially fond of my father agreed to accompany me.  We left to Shimoga on a Saturday since the doctor consults only on Sundays and Thursdays. Consultation begins at 7:00am, its on first come first serve basis.  I thought 5:00am would make us sufficien
35 comments
Read more

Acutouch? Come Again…You mean Acupuncture?

In the first month after we got our father home, we were persistently looking for alternate treatments to help heal him.    One possibility that seemed to work, atleast in some ways was Acupuncture .    Literature available on it is a galore, so are the practicing acupuncturists.    Everyone and anyone apparently is an Acupuncturist.   The most reliable seems to be doctors trained in western medicine who are also trained in Acupuncture from China.    We found one such very reputed doctor in Chennai.    His clinic was far and highly wheel chair inaccessible.   The thought of taking our father everyday to that clinic seemed like a mini nightmare. While still on a hunt for a good Acupuncturist, serendipitously we were told of an ‘Acutouch’ doctor who was in the same area in Chennai as us.   Never to let any opportunity to slip by, we paid a visit to the Doctors home clinic.   The house located on a rather quiet street was an easy find since it had patients swarming outside the hous
3 comments
Read more

Silent Conversation

Winter 2012 to Summer 2013 were our acupuncture days.   On most days our timing would match with this couple -  the husband was diagnosed with some neuro degenerative disease (not Parkinsons)  that severely reduced his speech and mobility.    They were in their late forties.  He (hence forth referred to as ‘Uncle’!)was a businessman with his sharp acumen still intact.  He apparently guided their son in taking decisions in business by mere head nods.  She was a fulltime caregiver doing her best in supporting her husband.   We swapped stories and challenges when time permitted in between the treatment.    One day we finished treatment and were waiting for the elevator at the same time.  That was probably the first time Appa and the uncle were seeing each other.  They both raised their hands to greet one another.   Appa indicated the arrival of the elevator and uncle motioned his hand signifying we take it first since it would not hold two wheelchairs.   They then waved goodbye
1 comment
Read more