Some Perils of Wrestling and the Promise of Rehabilitation
As part of NeuLife Rehab’s continuing discussion of athletics and the rehabilitation and specialized rehabilitation that we furnish in Mount Dora, Florida, we would be remiss in not addressing catastrophic injuries of various kinds that may result from wrestling. The most serious of them are often to the neck and to the spine. The less severe tend to be bruises and contusions which, after acute care often involving ice and rest often resolve without extended rehabilitation.
Severe injuries to the neck and to the spine resulting from wrestling often require post-acute rehabilitation after an individual has been medically stabilized. To understand why, it is helpful to understand the structure of the neck and the spine, their inter-relationships and their susceptibility to trauma.
The neck is part of the spinal column which extends throughout virtually all of the body. The neck portion of spine, called the cervical spine consists of seven bones that are separated by discs which act as shock absorbers; the discs allow the discs to move freely during activity. The spine generally, including the cervical spine, has important nerves encased within it. They lead to and from the brain and thereby transmit commands from and information to the brain and other body parts. As the cervical spine is the part of the spine that is closest to the brain, it is vital to this communication pathway.
Sports, such as wrestling, can contribute to very serious neck trauma, including spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and neck fractures. Broken necks are always serious injuries and often catastrophic because they can implicate neurologic function and cause paralysis. Still, the individual sustaining one can frequently be rehabilitated by innovative spinal cord injury (SCI) expertise such as that provided by NeuLife Rehab in Mount Dora, Florida.
But for rehabilitation from a wrestling-related, or any other sports-related trauma to be successful and to lead to independence to the fullest degree that an individual’s physical and mental condition allows, there has to be an innovative plan of post-acute rehabilitation and specialized rehabilitation. That is where NeuLife Rehab comes in and how it distinguishes itself from all other post-acute rehabilitation facilities.
When an individual becomes a Client of NeuLife Rehab he or she is given an independent functional evaluation by a team of professionals that may include:
- Board Certified Neurologist
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Board Certified Physiatrist
- Neuropsychologist
- Psychologist
- Board Certified Psychiatrist
- Speech Language Pathologist/Cognitive Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Nurses
- Certified Rehab Counselor
The result of the independent functional evaluation forms the basis of a Client Goal Plan for each Client. The Client Goal Plan is implemented by NeuLife Rehab’s multidisciplinary team of professionals. The goal is the attainment of independence for each of our Clients to the fullest extent of his or her physical and mental abilities. .
Proper and timely post-acute rehabilitation that may determine the difference between disability and independence is what NeuLife refers to as the “platinum post-acute period” — the crucial window following acute care that is needed to nurture the whole person to health with specialized, clinically relevant services.
NeuLife’s philosophy is that healing, wellness and personal fulfillment are best achieved in a positive and uplifting therapeutic environment where caring staff encourages, assists and supports each client so he or she may achieve specific goals. NeuLife believes personal fulfillment is equally as important as goals to achieve function and independence.
NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is an accessible residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury
(TBI), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Amputations, Burns and other Catastrophic Injuries and Challenging Diagnoses.
2725 Robie Avenue
Mount Dora, Florida 32757
