What is Neuroplasticity?

Our brains never stop changing.  After a brain is damaged, it has the ability to rewire and reorganize itself to relearn and restore function.  This ability is called Neuroplasticity.  After injury, the brain relearns in tiny, incremental building blocks that need to be repeatedly practiced to create new neuropathways.   

How do our brains recover? 

There are a number of individual factors that determine whether someone reaches their recovery potential or not, but we believe there are 3 ways to maximize Neuroplasticity:

• More opportunities for practice
  Our clinic setup allows us to see more patients, on a one-on-one basis, and for longer periods. This allows us to target specific skills a patient needs to improve, then provides the time to address it properly. More traditional clinic settings limit this potential, often leading people to the mistaken conclusion that they have maximized their recovery potential.

• Fostering a belief in recovery
  Science is showing us that what we believe is possible has a major impact on what we can achieve, and when survivors believe they can’t recover, it makes recovery less likely.

• Treatment that facilitates a return to normal mobility
  The brain relearns what is practiced most, so it is crucial that your therapy promotes normal movement.

Our program is comprised of three essentials to optimize neuroplasticity.

• The Neuro-IFRAH® Approach (originated by Waleed Al-Oboudi, MOT, OTR/L). 
  This whole person approach emphasizes achieving normal movement.  It’s concepts and handling techniques produce superior results in the recovery of motor skills in stroke and brain injury survivors.  For more information on the Neuro-IFRAH® Approach

• High Frequency and Duration Treatment Model
  Scientific research supports the idea that an injured brain has the most recovery potential with frequent and consistent practice. The daily blocks of time during our Intensives allow us to capitalize on effectively teaching patients to initiate and master new movements in the stroke affected areas. See Research page for some of our references.

• A Steady Expectation of Recovery
  Science supports the idea that belief and expectation are determining factors in healing and recovery. If you believe you can recover, it’s much easier to do so. An injured brain has the ability to relearn and rewire, and we take every opportunity to foster this expectation in our patients, as well as their family.  See Research for  some of our references.