By the Grace of Allah, a medical team has successfully performed intensive medical rehabilitation for a patient with ataxia, which contributed to restoring movement to him. The two-stage treatment plan lasted for 6 months and helped the patient regain movement and the ability to walk after being paralyzed for a year.
The Northern Borders Health Directorate confirmed that the medical rehabilitation and physical therapy team at Al-Uwaiqila Hospital succeeded in rehabilitating the movement of an ataxia patient. Medical and clinical examinations confirmed that he suffers from inflammation of the cerebellum, which led to an imbalance and motor coordination, staggering in sitting and walking, inability to perform daily activities, deterioration of motor skills and general muscle weakness.
They also indicated that the medical team supervising the case conducted more accurate examinations which reflected that the patient had been suffering from motor dysfunction in the body for a year, so that he was subjected to an intensive rehabilitation program by a physical therapist, and a treatment and rehabilitation plan was determined for the patient. The plan included (balance exercises, intensive training on motor coordination, strengthening and flexibility exercises using assistive devices, and exercises to enhance gross and fine motor skills), setting short-term goals, and the positive result appeared within 3 months.
The treatment teams indicated that the patient began to respond by standing and being able to walk with complete balance after 3 months of the program. Physical therapy increased muscle strength of the trunk and limbs which contributed to the ability to practice daily activities and social practices. The second phase was immediately implemented and included practicing sports and physical activity, providing education, awareness, and support to the patient in addition to assistance at the psychological and social level.
They also stated that motor convulsion, or what is known as Ataxia, is a state of symptoms specific to the nervous system that includes disturbance and defect in voluntary movements. This defect may be in the form of disturbance in the direction of movement or in the rate and strength of voluntary movements as a result of the inability of some the nervous system parts to regulate voluntary muscle movements.