A Note from the Founder
Spasm/Tone
Teaching the Nervous System to Control Spasm and Tone Through Active Nervous System Recruitment™, Without Using Medications.
I would like to touch on the topic of spasm and tone. These are very important symptoms that could change the life of a newly injured person depending on how they are treated. There is a misconception out there that Project Walk loves spasm and tone. We don’t; however, we do understand it and know how to train it. We recognize it for what it is; a symptom of a dysfunctional nervous system, but a nervous system that can improve with proper stimulation. Over the years, we have encountered older incomplete injuries controlled by spasm and tone. These individuals struggle with day to day activities and are the most challenging to work with. I have always said that spasm and tone are like concrete. When it is first poured, you can shape and form it, but once it sets, you need a jack hammer to break it down.
In the research world, gait training in rats starts within a few days post injury, whereas with humans it is bed rest. We have a greater chance of success if a client starts with Project Walk within their first three months post injury (depending on overall health and doctor’s release). During this timeframe, we have a chance to train the nervous system, teaching it to control spasms by turning them on and off eliminating tone, and replacing it with muscle contractions. We are now seeing more individuals coming directly from the hospitals. At this point, they are just beginning to heal giving us the opportunity to teach the nervous system how to control the energy so it doesn’t develop into dysfunctional spasm and tone. The technique we use is called, “Active Nervous System Recruitment™(ANSR)™”.
I am currently overseeing the training of several full-time clients who started with Project Walk directly from the hospital. The injury levels vary from Asia A complete to incomplete. These clients, in Phases I, II and III of The Dardzinski Method™, help teach our Provider trainers and those participating in our Certification and Train Your Therapist/Trainer™ programs a particular course called, “Teaching the Nervous System to Control Spasm and Tone Through Active Nervous System Recruitment, Without Using Medications.” Controlling spasm and tone without medication is difficult and takes years of practice. Learning to do so requires hundreds of hours of working with dysfunctional nervous systems. Learning how someone regains function by feeling what the nervous system is doing; understanding why, and then controlling how it develops over time is the key to success. This process can take a long time, even with someone we consider a fast healer. If done properly, ANSR™ will change the outcome for most new injuries. It doesn’t mean they will all walk; but it can mean a life without spasms, pain medication, and control of the body for a better quality of life.
By creating controlled contractions, we create movement; from movement we create a gait pattern. We know that not everyone will regain function, but we also know that those participating in our programs are healthier, have greater muscle mass, and an improved quality of life. Our long-term clients have reduced or eliminated spasm and pain medications. That’s powerful and it all starts with Active Nervous System Recruitment™.
December will be an exciting month at Project Walk because it is the first time we will have a group of Physical Therapists from across the United States start our Certification program. Most of these professionals are currently working in SCI rehab centers and will be intricate in helping to change the long-term treatment of SCI. For more information on the courses we teach or the Certification program, please visit our website at www.projectwalk.org and click on Institute of SCI Recovery.
Warmest Regards,
Ted Dardzinski
