Wheelchair Exercises for Fun and FItness

July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Many people who use a wheelchair may experience physical issues such as stress in the neck and shoulders. Wheelchair exercises can help reduce the stress and pain, as well as adding strength and muscle tone to the individual. Other positive aspects of wheelchair exercises include flexibility and weigh control — and they can help elevate the mood. Here are a few wheelchair exercises.

Resistance training will build strength through using equipment such as stretch bands. These types of exercises target specific areas of the body. These bands can be used for a variety of exercises including trunk and shoulder rotations and leg extensions.

Yoga practice is not only beneficial to the physical body, but to the mental one as well. You can often find yoga classes designed especially for people in wheelchairs. Yoga can improve flexibility and mental health.

Strength training uses dumbbells and other types of weight to improve an individual’s strength level. Many people who started their exercise programs using resistance training, find that the next step is to move to strength training.

Many gyms today are adding programs that recognize the needs of people in wheelchairs or who have other disabilities. Joining a gym will usually give individuals the motivation to continue a regular workout regime. Make sure to find a gym that provides machines are flexible to the needs of the user. For instance, look for weight machines where the seats swing out and have straps or other devices to help keep legs and feet in place.

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Don’t Live Disabled

June 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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If you are ill or handicapped, you likely are faced with many difficult decisions. From understanding the rules and regulations surrounding government programs for the disabled to finding doctors and clinics to help provide needed care, it may seem like you spend more time trying to manage your health care than managing your actual health. Understanding a few simple health tips can help make all of this easier to manage.

First, take some time to review available government programs. You may be surprised to learn that being qualified for a program and actually receiving benefits are two totally separate issues. Utilize resources such as taln.org to help you understand the programs. You may have to work closely with your case worker and submit your paperwork several times before your case is approved. Don’t be discouraged, if your disability qualifies for a program, you will eventually be approved.

Almost as important as understanding government programs, is understanding the to take care of yourself. While your doctor may suggest medications or therapies to discuss your disability you must also take care of your overall health. Resources like taln.org encourage eating properly and getting enough sleep to help you overcome even the most difficult disabilities.

Suffering from a disability doesn’t have to mean living your life disabled. Instead, take advantage of all the available resources, including websites like taln.org and government programs, to help you live your life to the fullest. Time, patience, and some common sense can help you live a full and happy life.

 

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Caring For A Disabled Person – Ignoring Fitness Can Lead To Severe Health Complications

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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A disabled person is not necessary a diseased person. A diseased person is not in control of all faculties and is not in a position to take proper care. On the other hand, a disabled person may be completely immobile due to loss of limb but still may be in a position to lead a relatively normal life.

A person who is not conscious will not be in a position to focus on his or her health. Such a person requires constant care and assistance. On the other hand, a disabled person who has lost a limb cannot afford to ignore health. A person who cannot walk properly will have to exercise regularly to avoid becoming overweight.

Being seated on a wheelchair throughout the day may lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Such a life can lead to health problems in a disabled but otherwise healthy person. A disabled person who tries to avoid excess fat in diet will find it easier to lead a normal life.

How can a person forced in a wheelchair exercise? Control of diet, movement of hand and upper body or even wheelchair basket can help the person stay fit.

Not having a limb is not a medical condition. Rather, it is the consequences of an incident and can be overcome. However, many persons make the mistake of thinking that their healthy life is finished. They start ignoring their fitness. In the long run, such a mistake will lead to more complications than the actual disability itself. Hence, care for the disabled individuals should include ways and means to improve fitness and overall health.

 

 

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The Center for Every Situation: The Renfrew Center

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Located in cities ranging from Charlotte to Dallas to Philadelphia, the Renfrew Center has been providing mental health care for women since 1985. The center began as the first residential treatment facility for women with eating disorders and has since grown to encompass a number of women’s issues. The paragraphs that follow will detail the six main programs available at Renfrew.

The Residential Program, which is offered both in Philadelphia and Coconut Creek, Fla., is intense and wide-ranging. Individual therapy is important, but the Residential Program combines that with both group and family therapies. Care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and involves experienced medical professionals.

The Transitional Living Program is available for those not in a residential program who have difficulty getting home easily following their day programs. The Transitional Living Program is, as the name suggests, a good transition step from the Residential Program to less intensive programs offered at Renfrew.

The Extended Care Program is a program available for women over 18 who have already completed an eating disorder treatment. Extended care is helpful for women who need adjustment skills or extra support following such a huge life change. For this program, the Renfrew Center offers career counseling, meal planning sessions, community meetings and life skills groups, among other activities.

The Day Treatment Program is offered for patients needing additional structure following residential care or for those women for whom a residential option is not necessary.

The Intensive Outpatient Program allows patients to continue with school or work while also receiving support in the form of meal planning three times a week.

Lastly, Outpatient Services are easily accessible for women simply looking to speak with someone about their issues, involve themselves in positive activities or receive consultation on nutrition. The amount of Outpatient Services varies by location, but most Renfrew Centers have some outpatient service options.

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Down Syndrome Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute Focuses on Success

February 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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The Kennedy Krieger Institute is an organization dedicated to progressing the lives of children with disabilities. The institute focuses on brain and spine disorders, but most disabilities fall into these categories. KKI treats more than 16,000 kids every year for conditions ranging from autism spectrum disorders to spina bifida — and has been doing so for more than 60 years.

Within KKI, the Down Syndrome Clinic consists of highly competent team of professionals who are there for patients through every major obstacle. The clinic’s main goal is to allow children with Down syndrome to lead full, successful lives. It’s important for patients to cope with their condition so as to become independent in all aspects of their lives. The Down Syndrome Clinic provides the following services to help patients reach the high goals set for them:

  • Initial evaluation and diagnostics
  • Follow-up evaluations
  • Medical screening to prevent condition-related complications
  • Medical consultation, including advice and treatment options
  • Parent education and training
  • Therapy and other ongoing care

The team at the Down Syndrome Clinic doesn’t just focus on practical care. Continual research is another priority for all KKI programs. Neurological studies are constantly in the works. The team uses the clinical patients as a means for studying the condition in a multifaceted manner. The team investigates and applies various therapy theories to study their effectiveness as well.

The research projects currently underway at the Down Syndrome Clinic include the following studies:

  • Mental health studies focusing on Down syndrome as it relates to autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders
  • Memory and learning skill research
  • Functionality of computer tests for measuring memory
  • Down syndrome heart research
  • Clinical trials of the drug Rivastigmine
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Average Aspects of Asperger’s Syndrome

February 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Within the spectrum of autism disorders, those with Asperger’s syndrome are usually the most high-functioning. They are able to speak and think fairly clearly, but they have difficulty interacting socially and may fall into repetitive, obsessive-compulsive actions. The cause of the disorder is unsettled, but much is known of the signs and symptoms of Asperger’s. The list that follows will identify and expound upon many of the common characteristics of the disorder.

  • Abnormal speech: It’s not always noticeable, but those with Asperger’s often have stilted speech. They may speak at a slower pace or the tone may sound flat or give the impression of boredom.
  • Inability to read body language: One of the main characteristics of all disorders on the autism spectrum is the person’s difficulty understanding other people’s body language. If someone is showing signs of fatigue or frustration during a conversation by sighing excessively or tilting their head a certain way, a person with Asperger’s cannot relate those movements with an expression.
  • Obsessions: Especially with Asperger’s syndrome, obsessions are extremely common. The obsessions can range from small household chores to mathematical computations. Those with Asperger’s are often very skilled at their obsession.
  • Literal interpretations: Similar to being unable to ready body language, a person with Asperger’s cannot understand common expressions during speech. If someone posits that they are as fast as a cheetah, a person with Asperger’s cannot comprehend the simile and think the other person means a literal cheetah. If you’re communicating with a person with the disorder, avoiding figures of speech and metaphors will allow them to follow your train of thought.
  • Unaware of societal norms: People with Asperger’s don’t understand the concept of personal space and touching.
  • Sensory problems: Loud noises such as someone yelling or an alarm sounding can set someone with Asperger’s off negatively. They will become confused and can become aggressive or shut down completely.
  • Poor coordination: Those with autism are not typically adept at sports. Something about the neural connections in the brain don’t allow for coordination. A sports setting can also be confusing and frustrating for a person with Asperger’s.
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Research and Assessment: The Autism Program at Yale

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How autism occurs is largely unknown. The disorder is characterized by an inability to effectively communicate thoughts and feelings as well as interpret others’ thinking. The term autism actually covers three disorders of the autism spectrum, which are autism itself, Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. When the word autism is used, it may mean any one of these specific disorders. The causes of autism are indefinite, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t abundant research and numerous programs dedicated to the study of the disorder. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Located in New Haven, Connecticut, the Autism Program at Yale is one of the greatest facilities both for autism research and clinical autism services in the country. Yale’s program is unique in that it’s comprised of research scholars as well as trained physicians. The following paragraphs will detail the services provided and the types of research studies being conducted at Yale.

The Autism Program is positioned within Yale’s Child Study Center. Within that center, there is a clinic called the Developmental Disabilities Clinic. This clinic is where most of the services for children with autism are performed. A team of professionals first assesses the children — aged anywhere from 0 to 21. The assessment is aimed at determining a diagnosis as well as possible treatment solutions/courses of action for intervening educationally. These individual assessments test the child’s psychological level, speech and language abilities, and psychiatric well-being. Once the assessment is complete, the team creates a report that suggests an action plan and referrals to other specialists. For the younger kids, a special Toddler Clinic is available because the testing is slightly altered for children under age 4.

The research at Yale focuses on genetic aspects of autism such as the genetics of social interaction and engagement. Some of the research topics the program is or has focused on include the following:

  • Early autism detection in infants
  • The preference of babies to look into their parent’s eyes
  • Language acquisition
  • Learning styles and treatments based on the child’s strengths
  • Brain imaging
  • Drugs for symptom relief
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Early Detection is Key at the John Tracy Clinic for the Hearing Impaired

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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The Los Angeles based John Tracy Clinic is a nonprofit education and resource center for young children with hearing impairment and their families. The clinic was started in 1942 by Louise Treadwell Tracy and offers a number of services throughout the world without charge. The John Tracy Clinic focuses on early detection of hearing loss in children in order to help those affected live fulfilling lives rife with speech and sound. Services provided by the clinic are detailed below.

  • Individual intervention: The John Tracy Clinic provides free audiological testing to children ages 0-5. The clinic emphasizes the importance of detecting hearing loss at a young age. If a child is identified as hearing impaired, the clinic explains the particular needs of the child and suggests options for the next step. The clinic also provides hearing tests in surrounding Los Angeles communities.
  • Spoken language learning: The Preschool Program offered by the John Tracy Clinic educates both children and parents on the English-language opportunities for children with hearing loss. The classes are focused on encouraging children to utilize the hearing they do have and teach methods of expression that aren’t audible.
  • Parental instruction: Every parent is urged to attend the free John Tracy Clinic programs with their hearing impaired children. Parents schedule weekly meetings with teachers to discuss progress and options. In addition to attending classes with their child, parents are provided with their own class and support group. This class meets twice a month and instructs parents how to best guide their children. The John Tracy Clinic believes that if parents have the knowledge and tools to educate their children at home, that is just as, if not more, important than their child’s John Tracy Clinic education. The support group aspect of the program is also crucial for parents. Understanding you’re not alone — that there are others within your community going through the same struggles — is comforting.
  • Distance education: For those not based in Los Angeles, the clinic offers education courses through mail and the John Tracy Clinic website. The online courses are also free.
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Symptoms and Treatment of Asperger Syndrome

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Autism has several variants, one of which is the Asperger Syndrome (AS). Classified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger Syndrome is affects mental development from birth. It is a neurological condition that is market by language and communication impairment of varying degrees. Like cases of Autism, patients of Asperger Syndrome also have repetitive behavior but they additionally restrict their interest to one particular subject. Children suffering from this condition are obsessed with a certain subject and their entire knowledge, learning and vocabulary revolves around this one subject. Such great is there involvement with the topic of their choice they end up sounding like professors when they talk to anyone.

 

When interacting with others, patients of Asperger Syndrome will talk about nothing but the subject they love. Although they attain a great level of expertise in this area, they fail to give even basic attention to any other subject, this hindering over all development and growth. Patients of this syndrome come across as a little eccentric to observers, getting angry and agitated if you try to speak to them on any other topic. They also tend to have very poor motor skills and their movements are uncoordinated which leads to delayed development of basic skills like walking, catching a moving object or tying shoe laces. Children suffering from Asperger Syndrome are very clumsy and often feel humiliated by their setback. They also find it difficult to communicate through non-verbal mediums.

 

Early diagnosis is crucial for the treatment of Asperger Syndrome. Children still in their developmental stages can go through treatment programs which tackle the three core Asperger Syndrome issues of motor skills, communication skills and obsessive behavior. Through a series of well planned packaged designed to engage an Asperger child, improvements can be made that help patients to lead a better life. However, despite such improved development and treatments, Asperger Syndrome sufferers will always find social interaction and relationships challenging, even as adults.

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Overview of Wheelchair Styles

December 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wheelchairs can open up the world to those with a disability that limits mobility. The sleeker designs, light and comfortable materials, and ease of use, can turn using a wheelchair into the funnest part of a person’s day. There are two different types of wheelchairs.

Self-propelling Wheelchairs
These chairs are small enough to fit into a car so that you have total mobility. A self-propelling wheelchair can be steered very easily and will allow you to move about in the most natural way possible. This type of chair is designed for the rider to use alone, by pushing and pulling the wheels to get in motion. Since you touch the wheels, if they are dirty, your hands will get dirty too. Flooring can affect the momentum of the chair, which will be slower and harder to push on thick carpets, but quick and smooth on flat floors. If you have limited upper body strength, weak arms, breathing difficulties or high blood pressure, this may not be the chair for you.

Push Wheelchairs/Transport Chairs
The chair is for those that can not or do not want to do the work to move around. A person is needed to stand behind the chair and push it along, with the disabled person enjoying the ride. This means that you must always have someone else with you, possibly making a person feel less independent. You will have to direct your pusher on where you’d like to go, which may be a hindrance when doing such activities as shopping. Most of these types of chairs will fold up and fit into an average sized car, but there are some models that are large and may require the use of a modified vehicle. A push chair is also great at negotiating curbs. A push wheelchair is not as maneuverable as a self-propelled wheelchair, making it harder to move around crowded places and stores.

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