Rehab

Physical therapy - Jill:  I need to score ‘22’ points on a scale of 1 – 30 in order to be  officially ‘discharged’ from the walker. That means I have to be able to walk a straight line while maneuvering around obstacles, changing my pace ..then do it again backwards. Today I scored ‘13’. For me this would be a killer even under the best conditions

 

My physical therapist, Jill, holds a doctorate degree specializing in the neuro-vestibular system. This means she deals with the part of the brain that gives me a sense of my orientation in space. It’s one of three components of balance. She informs me my vestibular system is shot

 

I remember a female instructor at Santa Cruz who wore a camcorder on her head while walking around school one day. Afterward, she showed us the film. It looked nothing like what we ordinarily see. It was a bumpy and jarring ride. 

 

“That’s because we have a vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR) that keeps our eyes steady while our head bounces around. ” Jill explains “..without it, the world looks like it did on the film ..it’s called ‘osillopic’ or bouncy vision.” I’d say that pretty much captures the essence of my walking expeditions.