REPOST: Lift With Purpose: Fundraiser to help young boy receive physical therapy

Cerebral palsy is caused by a lack of oxygenation to the infant’s brain during childbirth and results in stunted locomotor or physiological development later in life. This article features former cerebral palsy sufferer Alex Nicely, whose extensive physical therapy has enabled him to walk, and how he has been raising funds and awareness to help other cerebral palsy patients in need of treatment.

Image Source: dnj.com

MURFREESBORO – For Alex Nicely, who has cerebral palsy, weightlifting is more than a sport; it’s become a way of life for him.

And he’s holding a weightlifting meet at Gold’s Gym on Saturday to benefit Lift With Purpose, a nonprofit he founded to help children with cerebral palsy receive much-needed therapy.

“If a baby goes without oxygen (during birth) there is damage to the brain and that damage depends on how long the baby goes without oxygen. It affected only my lower extremities,” said Nicely, who was unable to walk on his own until he was 5.

But when he did start walking, he could only go short distances. Then puberty hit.

“When I was 13, I went through a growth spurt. My muscles grew, but my bones didn’t because of the cerebral palsy,” Nicely recalled.

By 14, he was bound to a wheelchair.

“My parents could not accept this fate for me. They researched for months for the best alternative because traditional physical therapy was bearing no results,” Nicely said.

His parents eventually found an intensive physical therapy in Poland, and it was pricey — $10,000 total.

“This type of therapy was not approved for use in the States and was very expensive. With help from our church to get things started and the generosity of the community, all the funds were raised so that I could undergo the treatment I needed,” Nicely said.

The treatment involved the use of a weighted Adeli suit, which was originally developed in Russia to help cosmonauts counteract the effects of weightlessness. Nicely’s family traveled to Poland for four to six weeks at a time over a period of five treatment sessions. He had to wear the Adeli suit six days a week for six hours a day while undergoing the “intensive treatment,” he said.

Purpose of the suit was to build “muscle memory.” So when he would return home after each visit, he continued intensive exercise.

Ten years after being confined to a wheelchair, the 25-year-old can now dead lift 405 pounds and squat 285 pounds. But Nicely wanted to pay it forward, so to speak, and help others.

“I wanted to find a way to help people not as fortunate as I was. So I took my love of weightlifting and combined that with my desire to help others and created Lift With Purpose,” Nicely said.

He decided to start a clothing line targeting the weightlifting community and use profits “to help others combat these expenses (of therapy),” he said.

And still, he wanted to do even more. So he devised a plan for the weightlifting meet on Saturday at Gold’s Gym, known as “The Mecca” for the community of power lifters.

All the proceeds from entry fees for Saturday’s meet will benefit a young boy named Ethan, whose left arm and right leg are affected by cerebral palsy. With assistance, the boy’s family will be able to take him to a clinic in Utah.

“It’s about $2,000 a week and most insurances don’t cover it because it’s considered still experimental. So we want to send him out there for a week or maybe two weeks,” Nicely said.

All of the proceeds from the clothing sales also benefit others with cerebral palsy to receive treatments and equipment they need.

“As a result of these experiences, I have learned to never take my abilities for granted,” Nicley said. “As a result I am now walking and doing more than I thought I ever would.”

Former investment banker Doug Sparks is a world-class pole vault athlete who founded Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPT), a recruitment network that connects licensed physical therapists with the medical and healthcare institutions that need them. For news on fitness, injury management, and physical therapy, follow this Google+ page.

REPOST: Explore Health Careers: Physical Therapist

What can the aspiring physical therapist expect from this career path? This entry at ExploreHealthCareers.com discusses the work conditions, pay and education requirements, and responsibilities that physical therapists can expect on the job.

Average salary: $80,000
Years in school: 6 - 7 years
Job outlook: Excellent

Image source: explorehealthcareers.com

Physical Therapists (PTs) provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients with injuries or disease. PTs work closely with patients and clients to restore, maintain, and promote their overall fitness and wellness for healthier and more active lifestyles. Patients may include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low back pain, fractures, head injuries, arthritis, heart disease, and cerebral palsy.

PTs take the patient’s/client’s history and conduct a systems review, and perform tests and measures such as strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function, to identify potential and existing problems. Based on the examination and the physical therapist’s evaluative judgment, PTs determine a patient diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care that describes evidence-based treatment strategies and the anticipated functional outcomes. Finally, as a part of the plan of care, PTs determine the patient's ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness.

Working Conditions

Physical Therapists (PTs) practice in a variety of settings including hospitals, outpatient clinics, private offices, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and skilled nursing facilities. Most full-time PTs work a 40-hour week, which may include some evenings and weekends.

This position can be physically demanding, because PTs often have to stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and stand for long periods. In addition, physical therapists move heavy equipment and lift patients or help them turn, stand, or walk.

Academic Requirements

ll physical therapist education programs have transitioned to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, except one. By 2015 all programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) must award the DPT degree. Individuals who wish to practice as a physical therapist in the U.S. must earn a PT degree from a CAPTE-accredited program, pass a national licensure examination, and meet licensure requirements for the state(s) in which they practice.

Applicants can research admission requirements and apply to multiple PT education programs through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) website.

Visit this Doug Sparks Facebook page for more updates and articles on physical therapy as a practice.

REPOST: Fit after 50: Physical therapists can help

Karen Wik, guest columnist to the Citizen Times, writes about how physical therapy could enhance efforts to stay fit in old age.

Image source: citizen-times.com

U.S. Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres famously stated, “Never put an age limit on your dreams.”

During this past summer, Diana Nyad swam 103 miles from Cuba to Florida at age 64.

Every year, many men and women age 50 and older participate in every imaginable team sport and physical activity, running marathons and participating in Iron Man competitions.

We draw inspiration from these individuals, in our communities and in the international news, because they show us what is possible. They create hope that, with care and dedication, we can all continue to live out our dreams later in life.

In honor of this being National Physical Therapy Month, the American Physical Therapy Association is encouraging us to stay “Fit After 50.” Whether your dreams are to hike the Appalachian Trail, avoid a hip replacement surgery or spend a pain-free day playing with your grandchildren, a local physical therapist can help you shape and meet those goals.

Although fitness and activity goals vary, physical therapists are highly trained to design safe, effective treatment plans for a wide spectrum of patients. Physical therapists address chronic or acute back pain, perhaps caused by hours spent perfecting a golf swing or years on the tennis court, by assessing musculoskeletal imbalances.

An individualized treatment plan that includes manual therapy, strengthening or other interventions aim to eliminate the painful symptoms and prevent their reoccurrence.

Sports-specific strength, conditioning and flexibility programs can be custom-designed for patients with dreams of running their first marathons. Some individuals simply dream of regaining fundamental skills like walking to and from the mailbox without pain.

Physical therapists treat the whole person by integrating special tests for balance, range of motion, cardiovascular and neurological functions, muscle strength and joint mobility in order to set realistic goals for individuals recovering from trauma or disease.

Movement restrictions don’t always have to be roadblocks or create fear about being more active.

The aging process involves marked physiological changes, but chronic pain or risk of injury does not need to go hand in hand with being an active adult. Clinical research-based practices help physical therapists stay current and effective in the arenas of pain management and injury prevention.

If you feel sidelined from achieving your goals because of overuse injuries, or have been out of the game for a while and have fears about how your body will respond to new challenges, a local physical therapist can help.


So this month stop defining your abilities by your age — after all, it’s just a number — and start dreaming big.

 A former investment banker, Doug Sparks started Doctors Physical Therapy, a company that focuses on helping doctors, hospitals, and health practices find and contract independent physical therapists.  Visit this Twitter page for more updates on physical therapy.