Capital Region | Capital Health | Summer 2018

CAPITAL NEWS CAPITAL HEALTH is published as a community service for the friends and patrons of CAPITAL REGION MEDICAL CENTER. Information comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your primary care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2018 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Having the right team with the right tools makes all the difference when working to regain function after a debilitating illness, injury or stroke. Thanks to a generous donation from the Partners, Capital Region’s auxiliary group, our rehabilitation team is now equipped with state-of-the-art assistive tools to benefit rehab patients. Saebo, Inc., is a leading provider of evidence-based therapy solutions for individuals with impaired mobility and function. The Partners have provided Capital Region’s therapy team with multiple Saebo devices, including SaeboMAS, SaeboFlex, SaeboReach and SaeboStretch—as well as multiple treatment kits to improve patient outcomes. Restoring brain signal strength Crista Parker, OTR/L, CHT, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, says the Saebo equipment works to improve functional use of the extremity by offering facilitation of repetition of a task, motivation for use of the affected extremity, and engagement of the arm or the hand. “Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘use it or lose it’? This is fairly accurate with rehabilitation after a neurological event,” Parker says. “For example, when a stroke occurs, the part of the brain that was affected by the stroke is not getting strong signals to use the affected arm. If not used over time, that signal weakens. When the brain does not receive a signal to move the affected extremity, it does not ‘light up’ to move the body part,” Parker explains. “If the brain is stimulated repeatedly in that area of the brain, the more that area ‘lights up.’ This allows for recovery and return of the functional skill. The signal gets stronger— Successful recovery is in your hands Crista Parker, OTR/L, CHT Saebo rehab devices help restore muscle and limb function after neurological injury or stroke.

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