Following a spinal cord injury, many people look for a sport to play in order to be a part of a team, achieve specific goals and to improve their health. But how does activity-based rehabilitation facilitate the transition into para-sport?
Activity Based Rehabilitation (ABR) is an exercise-led whole body neurorehabilitation programme, tailored to an individual’s needs and goals.
The benefits of ABR are:
- Improvements in neurological function
- Increased muscle strength and endurance
- Increased cardiovascular fitness
- Increased balance and stability
- Improved skin integrity and increase circulation
- Maintenance of bone density
- Reduction in spasticity
- Improved active or passive range of movement
- Increased independence in Activities of Daily Living
- Increased psychological wellbeing
- Increased confidence
- Increased independence
- Aiding community re-integration
ABR uses periodised training programmes created by a multi-disciplinary team. Training programmes are individualised and centred around client goals both in the short and long term.
Training is moderate to high intensity and follows strength and conditioning theories of motor control and coaching strategies. Sessions are often focused on sport-specific tasks which can spark an interest and help ignite a passion for training and crossover with para-sport.
Taking up a new sport
When a client becomes involved with a particular sport, ABR can progress their interest and skills through training programmes focusing on key areas of the body related to that sport.
For example, our Neurokinex client Ellen Field was a keen boxer looking to complete a degree in strength and conditioning before her injury. Post injury her passion remained and ABR was able to facilitate boxing for her. Furthermore, it was also able to introduce Ellen into new training methods that she had not experienced before, including CrossFit – a functional training method focused on weightlifting and gymnastics.
Ellen’s ABR programme now facilitates these skills by working on areas such as core stability, muscle strength and muscle endurance in order for her to perform at the highest level. Many CrossFit workouts are based on High Intensity Interval Training under load which is now replicated in her sessions.
As Neurokinex is made up of a multidisciplinary team, trainers are able to coach weightlifting in a safe and effective way in a controlled environment. Ellen is now registered to a CrossFit gym and has competed in local national and international competitions, including the CrossFit Open in 2020.
From charity challenge to competition
Another client example of the power of para sport is Luke Applegate who has been attending Neurokinex since 2012. His main focus was on gaining upper body strength, allowing his body to be in the best shape that it can be. In 2018 Luke entered his first triathlon as part of a charity event to raise money for Neurokinex so his training programme shifted towards training for this sport. Luke enjoyed the new focus and took to the training well.
He has since competed at the British Championships in Triathlon where he came third. Tailored ABR programmes have allowed him to reduce his body weight and train specific muscle fibres to meet the demands of this particular sport, rather than focus solely on hypertrophy and muscle strength.
Whilst a person’s motivation and goals may change towards para-sport, the fact they are attending Neurokinex as part of an ABR neurorehabilitation programme is not forgotten. Even when working on specific ranges of motion, sport specific tasks or strengthening certain muscles we ensure that the whole body is targeted in order to activate the entire nervous system to promote neurorecovery.
ABR uses adjuncts such as locomotor training and wide pulse stimulation in order to promote excitation both above and below the level of injury. ABR sessions are always completed out of the chair and in varying loadbearing positions such as kneeling or standing. These variations in training allow for greater adaptability, maintenance of bone density and promote skin integrity. This aspect of ABR allows for a person to be in the best possible health both mentally and physically when crossing over to para-sport which, in turn, can avoid secondary complications and increase their quality of life outside of competing.
Mental health as well as physical gains
ABR sessions are completed at a moderate to high intensity which research has shown can help improve a person’s mental wellbeing due to the release of endorphins. People who suffer a spinal cord injury often have neuropathic pain and the release in endorphins has been found to alter people’s perception of pain and decrease its impact even if only for the short term.
The role of ABR in maximising neurorecovery and physical and mental wellbeing after a spinal cord injury is clear. When it is taken a stage further to act as a springboard into para-sport, its ability to prepare the body and mind for training and competition is nothing short of exciting.
