Also known as the Late Effects of Polio What is Polio? Poliomyelitis, commonly known as Polio, is caused by a virus that enters the nervous system and causes paralysis by damaging nerves called motor neurons (Polio Australia, 2021). Although paralysis is the most noticeable sign of polio, very few cases ever lead to paralysis. The … Read more
What is Rett Syndrome Rett Syndrome is a genetic, neurodevelopment disorder. It affects females almost exclusively and is caused by a genetic mutation on the X chromosome. Worldwide it occurs in 1 in every 10,000 females at birth, and is even rarer in males. Babies usually develop normally, but between 6 – 18 months gradually … Read more
Dance for Parkinson’s – what is Parkinson’s Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder. A neurodegenerative disorder is when cells in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) stop working or die. In Parkinson’s disease, a part of the brain called the substantia nigra (part of the basal ganglia) is affected. The substantia … Read more
What is Myasthenia Gravis? Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder. In MG, anti-bodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle which results in muscle weakness. MG impacts voluntary muscles (the muscles we have control over) – most commonly the muscles that control the eyes, mouth, throats and limbs. It is a rare disease, affecting … Read more
Neurological events such as a stroke, can cause changes in feeling or sensation, with sensation retraining a tool to address this. If a stroke damages the part of the brain that processes pain, temperature, or touch, sensation changes can occur. If you have change of sensation after a stroke, you might hear your therapy team … Read more
What is Mental Practice and how does it work? Mental practice is when you imagine yourself performing a task or movement. It has also been described as the practice of physical activity without any muscular movements. It is also called mental imagery or motor imagery. When you do mental practice, there is activity in the … Read more
Why do we need to do balance exercises? Last week we looked at how our balance system works, this week we will look at how balance exercises can be fun. Our body processes information from our eyes, our inner ear system and our somatosensory system (knowing where our body is in space) to help us … Read more
What are the benefits of an eTrike In the previous post, we had a look at what an eTrike is, and what the benefits are. The e-trike can help people fulfil their daily chores, increase feelings of independence, increase productivity as well as provide exercise and therapy which has been shown to improve mobility, and … Read more
The impact of neurological conditions. Nearly 1 in 6 of the world’s population suffer from a neurological condition (World Health Organisation, 2006), with every person being impacted differently. The same condition can even effect people in different ways. In our role, we see first-hand how neurological conditions impact people’s lives. Many people we see find … Read more
What is Electrical Stimulation or E-Stim? Electrical stimulation (commonly referred to as E-stim) is assistive technology that uses an electrical current to move weak or paralysed muscles. You will feel tingling in your skin and muscles, but it is not painful. Electrodes placed on the skin receive electrical signals from a small unit. This then … Read more