Amputations
An amputation involves the surgical removal of part or all of a limb.Amputations can involve fingers, toes, feet, hands, arms or legs. The higher the amputation (the closer to the core of the body) the more diffculties the person will have adjusting to their new body.
Brain Tumor / Injuries
Brain injury, also called acquired brain injury, is any damage to the brain that affects a person physically, cognitively, emotionally and/or behaviourally. Brain injuries can happen at birth, or later, from an illness or a trauma, and are called either traumatic or non-traumatic, depending on the specific cause.
Dementia/Alzheimer’s
Dementia is the term used to describe a set of symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by disease. Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with Alzheimer’s disease. It is the most common type of dementia, but it is only one of many forms.
Guillain – Barre Syndrome (GBS)
GBS is an acquired immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nervous system.
Motor Neuron Disease (MND)
The motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurons, the cells that control essential voluntary muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing.
Multiple Fractures
When a bone is fractured, there is often damage to surrounding soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and nerves. Surgical intervention (fixation of the fracture) and subsequent long periods of immobilisation may lead to stiffness of the affected joints and significant weakness of the surrounding muscles. This limits the individual’s capacity to perform functional activities such as walking, dressing and driving. Rehabilitation addresses all these challenges, ensuring the best possible functional outcome for the individual.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). The body’s own immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibres and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, the disease can cause the nerves themselves to deteriorate or become permanently damaged. MS can only be diagnosed after 2 or more episodes of relapse.
Near Drowning
Some of the children that we work with have suffered near drowning events. According to WHO, “drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid”.
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative nervous system disorder affecting movement and belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders. It affects an area of the brain known as the basal ganglia which is responsible for regulating movement and coordination.
Peripheral Nerves
Nerves carry information from the brain to the rest of the body, and vice versa. The arm and leg contains numerous nerves that transmit information for muscle contraction, sensation, and reflexes. The nerves that innervate the arm leave the central nervous system (spinal cord) through several areas in the neck, and form a complex structure called the Brachial Plexus. The same occurs for the leg. The nerves are larger near the neck / lumbar spine, and eventually divide to form smaller branches in the upper arm, forearm, and hand and thigh, calf and foot.
Poly Trauma
Polytrauma occurs when a person experiences injury to multiple body parts and organs, caused by a traumatic or catastrophic event. This results in a combination of disabling conditions, such as Amputation, Multiple fractures, Spinal cord injuries, Traumatic brain injuries, Peripheral nerve injuries, Burns, Internal injuries, Pain, Cognitive, Visual, Sensory and Hearing impairments.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Any mechanism that causes injury or damage to the vertebral column or the bones of the spine can result in damage to the spinal cord. Think of the spinal cord as an electrical or telephone cable composed of millions of wires, or nerves. The nerves carry the messages between the brain and the muscles, skin and joints of the arms, legs and trunk. If the nerves or wires are disrupted, there is reduced, or no communication, between the brain and the body below the level of the interruption or injury. This results in no/poor movement, and no/poor feeling in the trunk and limbs below the level of the injury i.e: paralysis.
Stroke
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in South Africa. The condition can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, religion or economic status.
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