Arlington Orthopedic Associates: Taking Health Care to a Higher Level

A.O.A. uses the expertise of a team of orthopedic surgeons with physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians. The disability therapy services at A.O.A. focus on ways to improve function through better strength, flexibility, and endurance based on the evaluative findings and diagnosis.

Visiting Arlington Orthopedic Association: Disability Therapy in Arlington, Texas was a great experience. Watching the performance of physical activities by adolescents with Cerebral Palsy really changed my mind frame. While I had already known that the disease was brought upon by neurological disorders, and how it actually affects individuals movements and posture, I was unaware that there were different classifications of the disabled movements (ataxic, athetoid, spastic, mixed) all providing different areas of the brain where the damage has taken place. Which can be found through a different diagnosis analyzing any symptoms suggesting brain damage is involved and motor dysfunctions.

Unfortunately there is no cure for cerebral palsy, although children can still be able to live productive lives if their disabilities can be controlled and managed efficiently. This was evident during my visit to A.O.A. as many of the children were doing physical therapy with repetitiveness to hopefully at some point enhance their range of motion. However, there seemed to be extensive therapy on the aspects of motor skills so they can learn how to compensate for other things such as speech therapy to be able to communicate, and if that was a growing issue as it was in a few children there, then being able to pick up a crayon and write what they were feeling. Since their muscles contract sporadically there is even cases of botox injections, dietary plans, physiotherapy, and on some instances yoga. All working towards the same goal, each child's abilities are different so communication between child to doctor seemed to be crucial.

Another aspect that I wasn't able to see while I was there, but was evident is the effect that it has on the parents in their households on an everyday basis. While many of the children come here on average two times a week you could see this sense of guilt as they watched their children do various activities which normally lasted anywhere from one to two hours. What I was trying to determine is if they were actually feeling guilty because of the everyday life that they endure with their child and how it was no ones fault, but just happened? Or if this was such a burden on both their parents and the child that the stress on their lives were tremendous everyday. I tend to think it might be a little of both, but the way these kids interacted with the therapists it was if nothing was wrong at all, and they basically just needed groomed a little and loved dearly.