Physical therapy in spinal cord lesions

New successful possibility of recovery for patients with spinal cord lesions, brain injury, brain stroke or other diseases affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS) through the GIGER MD® Therapy.

Erica Nader, Quadriplegic, C6 incomplete:

„The GIGER MD® has furthered my goal of recovery by increasing my core strength, coordination, and muscle tone. I feel it‘s the most important component of my therapy.“

The GIGER MD® is the new efficient method for treating patients with lesions or diseases affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS). This method is rehabilitating the CNS, unlike many other methods which affect only the periphery. Moreover the mobility of people with brain injury can be improved at the same time through the medical device GIGER MD® with great success.

Groups of patients suitable for this therapy are:

Paraplegia / Quadriplegia; spinal cord lesion

Cerebral Palsy

Brain injury / lesion

Brain stroke

Parkinson’s Disease

Other diseases affecting the CNS

The GIGER MD® therapy is used to treat patients with CNS lesions.

Due to the 4 new developments in human neurophysiology mentioned below, it is possible to reorganize the lesioned or functionally impaired human central nervous system (CNS). The 4 new repair-related concepts are:

1. The CNS is viewed as a neuronal network which organizes itself. The organization can be changed by re-learning.

2. The self-organization is based on a relative (specifically changing) phase- and frequency coordination of rhythmically firing sub neuronal networks and single neurons.

3. Neurogenesis and functional cell proliferation is induced and controlled by learning. Methods for re-learning basic CNS functions use especially rhythmic, dynamic, coordinated movements (GIGER MD® medical device)

4. It seems from the success in re-learning movements, vegetative and higher mental functions in patients with CNS lesion that the human CNS has a second integrative strategy to learn, re-learn, store and recall network states.

Theory of the GIGER MD® therapy of the lesioned human CNS and relearning

The lesioned human CNS can be repaired by re-learning of partially lost phase and frequency coordination through coordinated rhythmic movements. The severely lesioned CNS can only efficiently be repaired if integrative, coordinated functions are re-learned. The re-learning of relative phase and frequency coordination of the lesioned CNS can be achieved by:

Using the special coordination dynamic therapy device GIGER MD® which offer exact phase and frequency coordination up to a few milliseconds for re-learning.

The training of automatisms, postures and old learned movements which are only little impaired in their functioning by the lesion.

Rather than asking what is the best method to re-organize the lesioned CNS we should ask what method is most efficient in re-organizing the lesioned CNS by re-learning. The increase of the rate of re-learning is determined by 4 factors:

The exactness of the coordination of the performed movements during the therapy, to functionally reconnect disconnected network parts to recouple arms or legs that cannot be moved.

The increase of the intergrativity of the coordination dynamic therapy, which increases the number and complexity of simultaneously exercised phase and frequency coordinations and makes it possible to re-learn integrative functions such as the higher mental functions.

The enhancement of the movement induced re-afferent input to strengthen the physiologic self-organization of the lesioned CNS and its communication with the environment.

The increase of the intensity of the therapy to force the “adaptive machine” CNS to adapt.