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What are Health and Wellness? Over the day, you may become tired, sore, or feel blah; this could be linked to a lack of or decreased movement and exercise. Now you may ask why increasing activity throughout the day improves overall energy. Regular physical activity is linked to improving brain health, managing weight, reducing disease risk, strengthening bones and muscles, and improving the ability to complete everyday activities. These benefits are all linked to improving energy and decreasing fatigue. The definitions of health and wellness have been considered for a long time and still may have a meaning that differs from person to person. However, on April 7, 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Stoewen, 2015). Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of and make choices toward a more successful existence. These terms have been used interchangeably but are different in meaning. In short, the difference is that “health is a form of physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, whereas wellness is a state of living a healthy lifestyle. Role of Activity-Based Therapy in Health and Wellness At Back to Independence Rehab, we provide activity-based therapy to promote neuromuscular activation therapy with task-specificity through cues, modifications, and repetitive practice. Activity-based therapy has been shown to improve physical function and other health outcomes, such as emotional, mental, and social aspects in individuals with chronic (> 1-year postinjury) spinal cord injuries (Jones et al., 2012). Consistent and increased session/intensity promotes neuromuscular activation linked to participation in meaningful occupations(daily skills or tasks), better health, and improved perception of life satisfaction. In following activity based therapy principles, we are able to specifically affect health and wellness parameters for our community who have experienced Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, Brain Injury, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Parkinson’s Disease, and other neurological injuries/disease. What is Occupational Therapy, and How Does it Promote Health and Wellness? Occupational Therapy uses everyday activities (occupations) to promote health, wellness, and the ability to participate in meaningful roles or routines. Wellness has three tenets that the definition is based on (Stoewen, 2015): 1. Wellness is considered a conscious, self-directed, and ever-changing process of achieving full potential. 2. Wellness has many dimensions throughout the whole body, focusing on lifestyle, mental and spiritual well-being, and the environment. 3. Wellness is positive and affirming. From an occupational therapist's perspective, activity-based therapy provides clinicians with the experience and knowledge to facilitate appropriate and the “just-right” challenge for clients to complete exercises and activities that directly correlate to daily activities that individuals complete. Call us at 980-335-0778 if you would like to see if BTI Rehab can help you in your health, wellness, or recovery journey. References: Eric Harness, C., Paula Denison, P., Candy Tefertiller, D., & Nicholas Evans, M. (2012). Activity-based Therapies in Spinal Cord Injury:: Clinical Focus and Empirical Evidence in Three Independent Programs. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 18(1), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1310/sci1801-34 Stoewen, D. L. (2015). Health and wellness. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 56(9), 983-984. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4535518/

At BTI Rehab we provide activity-based therapy to promote neuroplasticity to aid the nervous system’s ability to change connection in response to new information and stimulation. Activity based therapy incorporates weight-bearing activities, functional electrical stimulation, task specific practice, massed practice, and locomotor training. A lot our neuro rehab is focused on central pattern generators (CPGs). CPGs are specialized spinal circuits involved in the control of rhythmic locomotor pattern generation and modulation. These could be crawling, walking, running, or even swimming. These CPGs are capable, under some conditions, to self-reproduce, even in the absence of descending or peripheral inputs(normal nerve conduction), basic rhythmic, and coordinated locomotor movements. Though, how do we train to target these CPGs? Oftentimes through repetitive pattern modalities. One of the major aspects of training we provide at BTI Rehab is repetitive pattern modalities (RPM). RPM’s have a cyclical nature to the exercise that helps promote health, wellness, and potential recovery by fostering the phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. Exercises are selected on their potential ability to either mimic the intrinsic rhythms of central pattern generators that occur during locomotion or develop oppositional firing of antagonistic muscle groups. Some examples of this are treadmill, elliptical, or versa climber training through our body weight support system (BWSS).