Come on kick those feet Laura!!!

It’s been 6 months since moving into my new home - Skypointe. When I arrived August 5, yes the movement was starting with my legs but quite small. I started with Nina, my occupational therapist, for first month for range of motion exercises twice a week and then I hired a massage therapist Jenny my second month at Skypointe, originally for twice a week too. Jenny did the massaging but also did range of motion exercises too. So I went from doing the exercises twice a week, to doing them 4 times a month! Jenny and I agreed, a better treatment plan was three times a week. For the last 5 months, I have been doing our range of motion exercises 5 days a week plus getting a massage 3 times a week.

One of the most notable improvements has been my legs. First is how my left knee is able to bend more when I am in the wheelchair. Now my foot doesn’t stick out as much. Makes getting into the Access Calgary bus easier as well as getting around the facility. Second is to be able to re-teach my brain to move my legs. One of the exercises Jenny does is to use my wedges raising my lower legs before massaging them. Nina’s exercises also has been helpful in strengthening my legs with me trying to focus on bringing my legs down after she raises them, pulling my legs in after stretching my leg out, and pushing/bending my leg towards my abdomen and I try to push my leg out. She uses her own strength to add resistance to those motions.

After Jenny had put the wedges under my knees and did her massage, she asked me to start moving my legs as she wanted to video my progress for her records. Below is the video of my efforts. It is great seeing progress with my legs after all this time.