Issue 13 - Winter 2011/12 - PACE Rehabilitation

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PARALYMPIC SUPPORT Paracycling World Champion, Colin Lynch As Olympic fever begins to spread across the country and preparations for the forthcoming 2012 Games intensifies, PACE Prosthetist Paul Richardson has been selected as a member of the international prosthetic support team at the Paralympics. As Paul explains, “I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected from the international recruitment by Otto Bock”, continuing, “It will be a privilege to keep the elite athlete’s prosthetic devices serviceable”. Paul will be based in the Olympic Village for the duration of the Games. Meanwhile, recently featured Paralympic cyclist, Colin Lynch (inset), has achieved a meteoric rise in his sport. Since working with PACE, he has powered from being just outside the top ten, to be crowned the Cycling World Champion in Italy. Another PACE paracyclist, Jon-Allen Butterworth (right), recently set two world records and took two national titles amongst his victories at the National Track Championships in Manchester. The next edition of Your PACE will feature PACE’s Paralympic athletes, as they prepare for the forthcoming 2012 Games and strive for medal success. EXPANSION In 2008, PACE increased its national coverage by opening its second clinic. Since then, the Chesham (Buckinghamshire) facility has steadily grown to firmly established PACE’s presence in the south of England. Recently, Prothetist/Orthotist Paul Richardson and Workshop Technician Charlie Smith have joined the team at the Chiltern clinic. Paul brings his enthusiasm and experience, including the proud boast of being the only Prosthetist to ever enter the Big Brother house, having providing clinical support for one of the contestants. Paul commented, “I am delighted to join PACE’s expanding team. Its patient demographic is different to the NHS, which I’m already finding refreshing, challenging and very rewarding”. Charlie joins PACE having gained his technical experience working alongside Paul at Stanmore, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex. As lead clinician Jamie Gillespie explains, “Having additional clinical staff required an expansion of the technical workshop too. Because Paul and Charlie have worked together for several years, they have slotted into the team perfectly”.
MDT & THERAPEUTIC SERVICES PACE’s services are established on the proven multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to rehabilitation - ‘The whole team for a whole person’. This is reflected in its clinical assessments, patient provision and outcomes. In addition to the fundamental prosthetic/orthotic and physiotherapy provision, PACE Counsellor Sue Turner explains how therapeutic services can contribute to achieving successful outcomes for a patient - “Therapeutic counselling provides a safe place to offload, to voice the fears and anxieties that can’t always be voiced to family or friends. People are often fearful of counselling, they are unsure of what counselling entails. The first thing to remember is that the counsellor has no agenda. In this type of counselling they won’t be asking about your childhood, they understand that what is going on for you now is what is important, and you can say as much or as little as you want to. It’s important to get the right type of counsellor and at PACE our counsellors specialise in trauma and can answer the practical questions that the patient doesn’t know who else to ask, or sometimes just knowing that other amputees have felt something similar is helpful. If specialist work is required for anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress or Phantom Limb Pain or depression this can be incorporated into the sessions too. “Meeting someone who has been through a similar experience or has the same level of disability is another good way to aid rehabilitation. The PACE Rehabilitation Buddy Scheme can provide this type of support for both the amputee and their family. Initial meetings with Buddies are facilitated by the counsellor and all Buddies are well known to us and are trained volunteers; they know what life as an amputee is like and can offer practical tips and understanding. The Buddy Scheme is also open to anyone facing an amputation; this can help reduce the fear of the unknown and the anxieties surrounding a life changing operation. “The ripple effect of trauma is often overlooked in the need to support the patient. We all enquire about the injured party but don’t think to ask how the people around them are coping. “After any life changing event or trauma, be it a road traffic accident, an accident at work or a planned surgery the practical and emotional support the amputee needs takes precedence. The wider circle of those affected, the spouses, partners, and children or in some cases the parents are often in need of emotional support. The entire family is going through a grieving process, be it for a lost limb, an identity or a lifestyle. Their well-being and ability to cope has a major impact on the rehabilitation of the amputee, yet they are often overlooked in the treatment process. Their world too has been turned upside down but there is often no space or time out for either party. This can be both frustrating and daunting as both are experiencing heightened emotions, fear of the unknown and worries about the future and so they all find it hard to communicate their feelings to each other so they are left to fester. “All therapeutic services provided by PACE, including initial assessments, counselling, E.M.D.R., N.L.P., C.B.T. and hypnotherapy, are not limited to amputees but are open to all victims of trauma”. For more information regarding PACE’s therapeutic services and Sue Turner can be found on www.pacerehab.com. PRODUCTS FEATURE NEW KNEES German manufacturers Otto Bock, recently launched two new prosthetic knees, with their Genium microprocessor controlled device and their Aqualine water activity unit. The Genium offers even greater capabiliy than their market leading C-Leg device, including functions to step over obstacles and assist stair ascent. The battery life is also significantly increased, allowing 5-days before recharging is required. One week trials are available at PACE’s clinics for suitable patients. The choice of components for trans femoral water devices is limited. However, using the new Aqualine knee, PACE patient Jon Bevan (58) eagerly took delivery of his water activity prosthesis. Jon was able to confidently and safely use the device and after a day trip to Pendine Sands he proudly contacted PACE via Facebook saying, “Thanks guys, I did my first walk on the beach and paddle in the sea for over 5 years today!” Also commenting that at home, "Its provided a wonderful feeling of freedom, to actually walk into and stand up unaided in the shower!"
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Issue 13 - Winter 2011/12 - PACE Rehabilitation

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