Ava’s Story – After investigations following symptoms such as arm and leg weakness, seizure activity and jerking movements Ava was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Ava began having treatment with MOTIONrehab in September 2021.
In lots of other neurological illnesses, the problem can be seen either on a scan, like in people with Multiple Sclerosis, or under a microscope, for those with Parkinson’s disease. People with FND do not have damage to their nervous system, therefore it’s not visible on a scan. With FND the problem is that the nervous system is not properly functioning.
Here at MOTIONrehab we understand this is a very difficult and often debilitating condition which impacts the individual and their life in many ways. We work closely with patients and families to provide as much support as possible with their rehabilitation.
When Ava came to MOTIONrehab she wanted to improve her physical abilities and retrain her brain to function better. She was previously playing football multiple times a week whilst studying PE and Business at College. Something which Ava is desperate to get back to.
Ava’s arm, hand and leg symptoms meant she needed to use a wheelchair and rely on her family for daily support. Over Ava’s time with us Ava’s tremors have come to a stop and she has been able to increase her independence at home, completing more day-to-day tasks herself with both arms.
Ava has been able to increase the movement in her right arm, meaning she can now bend and straighten at her elbow, open her hand independently, and can use it to hold a bottle of her favourite drink- Lucozade! Ava has been practicing writing with her left hand to aid her studies whilst having rehabilitation to her right. She will now be working on writing with her right hand as she can open this herself. Now that Ava is able to open her hand sufficiently, we have started working on improving this using our specialist hand robotic device- AMADEO. This will support Ava to open/close her hand with high repetitions and work on the sensation to her hand, helping to make daily activities easier and more achievable.
We have also been working with Ava in activities she enjoys such as tennis. Now she can open her hand and move her arm away from her body. We have been playing tennis with her right hand/arm to work on grip, aim and movement.
Ava has used a mixture of our upper and lower limb robotic technology alongside her NeuroPhysiotherapy to work towards her aims. She has also been using our gym with therapist support to work on strength and conditioning which she has been really enjoying, incorporating her right arm to complete exercises. Ava has since joined a local gym with her sister to continue on her therapy outside of clinic.
Ava has started to sit more comfortably too. On coming to us Ava was leaning in her wheelchair very heavily to the left, struggling to bring herself into the middle. Now Ava can sit in her wheelchair with only a minimal lean, and can sit centrally when completing tasks.
Ava was needing to hop around to navigate furniture at home to avoid using her wheelchair indoors. She is now using crutches to mobilise and this has improved her safety when walking.
Ava is continuing to work on her walking and positioning of her ankle. Ava’s determination is admirable and we love working with her. We look forwards to seeing her progress.
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