The Synergy of Body/Brain Repair
How our Intensive Pediatric Program Redirects Brain Connection:
How the Body repairs the Brain and the Brain repairs the Body:
By: Virginia I. Neubauer

The goal of the intensive pediatric program is to promote independence of movement and to "jump start" the developmental skills such as sitting, crawling, standing, reaching, grasping, head control and walking. Suit, cage and intensive therapy provides sensory input to the muscles and joints of the body and aids in proper functional movements by stretching, repetition and "everyday" movements. This teaches the central nervous system(CNS) and the brain to learn new or better ways to move, balance and coordinate. It challenges the brain to form new networks, bypassing damaged cells to compensate, coordinate and accommodate new physical skills. This stimulus may also activate the function of dormant, damaged cells, as it increases blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body provoking brain function. Like a kid who says "I bet I can", some neurons think so too. If you oxygenate and improve blood flow to the brain as you do with intensive therapy, some of the cells are going to respond: "well, I'd better wake up and help out here".

The intensive suit is constructed of breathable, sturdy cotton along with a series of elastic rubber cords utilized to effectively align the body for proper balance of the exterior and inner muscles of the body which provides additional sensory input to the muscles and joints for functional movement.

The intensive exercise program provides strengthening and endurance to promote increased coordination, flexibility, control and stability. The program involves a series of cables, pulleys and weights attached to the Universal Exercise Unit(UEU) which isolates muscle movement and allows the CNS and the child to move with more ease and more efficiently.

The UEU converted into the Spider (which includes 2-8 bungee cords around the patient's waist) allows the child to move freely in space "like flying", work on balance, coordination, graded muscle control and enjoy it! Staff and management both are fully trained in the use of this innovative equipment. Therapies4Kids is owned by the mother of a disabled child who cares about your child as she does her own.

Why do hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOT) & intensive pediatric therapy work so synergistically together?

Plasticity is one of the most important mechanisms of brain repair and involves the redirection and reeducation of neurons to make new pathways to learn and improve both cognitive and motor skills. Following any brain insult there is a period of plasticity while the brain and body compensate and attempt to overcome and rewire their connections to learn to take over the tasks of the damaged neurons. In children, plasticity is ongoing, as the brain is in development and still growing new brain cells. Just as babies need to be taught to walk and talk, newly awakened neurons need to be redirected and retrained. HBOT, the safe, non-invasive use of 100% oxygen under greater than atmospheric pressure, has been clearly proven to reactivate and facilitate dormant, idling, damaged neurons that had been receiving enough oxygen to exist but not enough to function or fire electrically. The reactivation of these cells with HBOT opens up whole new areas of plasticity so that the brain is able to learn or relearn the skills that are necessary for proper function of both the brain, as it relates to cognitive function, and the body as the brain makes new connections for recovery of trunk, limb and muscle movement. New neurons are like newborn babies. They need direction for their optimal growth and development. This is why a multi-disciplinary approach to brain injury in cerebral palsy and the brain injured child is so crucial to the outcome. The sooner the new neurons can be redirected to take on the tasks of the damaged areas the more promising the prognosis. It is the intensive therapy and strength training that redirect the brain cells when they are reactivated by HBOT to form the necessary pathways for functional recovery. The synergy of the two approaches combined demonstrates a good and positive outcome for the child.

WHAT IS HBOT?

HBOT is a medical treatment that uses pure oxygen to speed and enhance the body's natural ability to heal. High dose oxygen therapy is an American Medical Association, FDA and Medicare approved modality. While sometimes used as a primary emergency treatment, it is more often used as a cost effective adjunct or enhancement therapy.

Patients who may benefit from HBOT suffer from various diseases or injuries associated with hypoxia, or lack of oxygen on a cellular level. It is at this cellular tissue level where all life takes place.

During therapy, the patient breathes pure, 100% oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure. (The air we normally breathe contains only 19-21% of this essential element, and unlike HBO, requires energy to be delivered to the cells.) The concentration of oxygen normally dissolved in the bloodstream is thus raised many times above normal - up to 2000%. In addition to the blood, all body fluids including the lymph and cerebrospinal fluids are infused with the healing benefits of the molecular oxygen. It can reach bone and tissue which are inaccessible to red blood cells, enhance white blood cell function, and promote the formation of new capillary and peripheral blood vessels. This results in increased infection control and faster healing of a wide range of conditions.

* Information received from Ocean Hyperbaric Center Pediatric Division pamphlet, released by the staff at Ocean Hyperbaric Center. http://www.oceanhbo.com