Recovering from an Industrial accident that left him paralysed from the waist down:
Completing a 13 week rehabilitation programme at Physability. I decided to travel to Stroud every day from my home in Kent, which was a struggle, but the benefits I received were worth it.
When I first started my exercise programme with exercise therapist David Akroyd-Jones, I was walking with full-length callipers if you could call it that, more like swinging from the hip. I was able to walk indoors and around the house using the callipers with the aid of a rollator.
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John |
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I decided to travel to Stroud every day from my home in Kent, which was a
struggle, but the benefits I received were worth it. I became fitter,
stronger, my lower extremity circulation improved, and I was able to
support all of my body weight through my legs locking my knees myself
without the support of my full-length callipers.
This was possible because of increases in
leg strength and new 'boots' (customised ankle orthosis) that were
recommended by my exercise therapist. At first I didn't believe that the
boots would provide the same support as the callipers but as my strength
and confidence increased, I was able to move from the parallel bars to my
rollator. The 'boots' only come up to my calf musculature and just support
my ankle and foot. My strength, endurance and walking technique continue
to improve and I am now continuing my exercise programme with the help of
a local therapist.
I'm improving all the time and some day hope to resurrect my FOOTBALL
CAREER, which at its peak won me countless WINNERS, medals