ABR Therapy
It really was a life savour when we came across ABR a second time. This time it came at the right time for us and we were very excited to begin this new chapter into helping Archie on his path to having a good chance at life!! Kevan, I and our amazing carers work all day every day on Archie’s therapy. Day and night. We get trained every 3 months, 3 times a year, which enables us to do Archie’s therapy at home when it suits Archie. We put in anywhere from 1- 4 hours a day everyday. It works well with us, as Archie doesn’t travel well and any time we go out we have to time feeds, car journeys, naps etc, By the time we get there he is crabby and he never reaps the benefits of the therapy.
I came across ABR years ago and really liked the philosophy behind the therapy. It made even more sense to me when I started my training as a massage therapist, as I finally got the anatomy course I had been missing!
ABR Stands for Advanced Biochemical Rehabilitation. It’s a unique approach for children and young adults with cerebral palsy and other brain injuries that brings about structural correction of musculoskeletal deformities. It is a unique, rehabilitative, home based hands on treatment that brings about predictable recovery of the muscular skeletal structure and motor functions. It uses very slow compressional movements to force the cells in weak parts of the body to reproduce and strengthen. It is different than other therapies as it strengthens the body core of the child with cerebral palsy improving the child’s posture and functional abilities. It does this without the need for external support, splints, body suits, harnesses, and ABR does not use drugs, surgery or botox and does not place the child in forced positions, splints of boots.
In lamens terms, Archie’s structure is completely compromised. Archie has spastic quadriplegia which effects every single part of his body. His chest is very weak, he has no core strength, he can not hold his head up, his neck is lost in his thorax, he moves as one unit, he doesn’t move independently like we do. The most important thing we need as humans is a good respiratory system and a good digestive system. If these two systems are not working properly, what you have is a very tired, weak child. Archie is very weak. A poor respiratory system leads to poor circulation, low immunity, less oxygen to the brain, increased seizure activity, high risk for flus/ colds etc.
When we started this therapy the hardest part was hearing how weak our son was. How fragile he was. Even though we could see it, clearly. It was so hard. We had worked so hard with different therapies since he was born but we forgot the what was most important. This therapy really made sense to us. Even though Archie was 2.5 at the time, he was like a newborn. Who in their right mind would get a newborn baby and stick them in a walker, or a stander when they can’t even hold their head up. Same thing.
So we start from the beginning. If you want to permanently and significantly improve functional ability, you must first address the child’s structure. ABR Strengthens the chest and lungs, increases mobility of the spine, improves digestion, stopping reflux and constipation.
Its not a miracle cure, it’s a lot of work! We have been doing ABR now since November 2014. Last year we had our assessment and the changes in Archie’s structure was incredible. His chest has become much stronger and more open, his seizures have decreased to every 5-8 weeks. We recently had his PIPS score done for his hips as his left hip has never made a proper groove, he passed all his tests with a green star, and the physio was amazed by his range of movement. The review pictures will be posted in the next few days!!
Unfortunately ABR does not receive government funding, we have to pay for the training ourselves. It cost £5300 a year for 3 training sessions that last between 6-8 hours, plus our yearly assessment.
Thank you everyone who has helped support us along our journey, it would never have been possible without your help, and for that we are forever grateful!