Uploaded by
rifton on 04.11.2009
(Caption: Rifton Pacer XL) (Caption: Sean has not walked since his traumatic
brain injury in 2005.) (Caption: This video was shot over 19 days.)
Jenny Carter, Sean’s mother: This, to us, is the first step of the rest of Sean’s
life. We’re giving him the ability to walk again.
Jenny Carter, Sean’s mother: It’s the Rifton Pacer Gait Trainer. And Dr. McCain,
in all her experience, said that this is the one device that can lead him to walking again.
Karen McCain, DPT: It’s a device that’s perfect for patients like Sean, because it
has a lot of support, but then you can also sort of peel away the support as he gets better.
It has a chest prompt, so it gives him support at his chest. It has arm supports, it has
thigh supports,so it can give him all the stability that he needs, but as he gets better
I can take some of that stability away because he has the ability to move his legs, but he
doesn’t have the stability in his trunk and in his neck and in his, in his upper body
to be able to propel himself over ground by himself. But he needs to be able to walk a
lot to be able to learn this skill. He can’t do it coming to therapy twice a week for an
hour. So he has to be able to walk outside of therapy, and this device will let him do
that. Karen McCain, DPT, to Sean: Now, move your
leg back here, big guy. Bring this leg back. Bring your right leg back. There you go, perfect.
Now stand up really straight. So, whatever position you really like, then you need to
tighten this baby down. Karen McCain, DPT, to Sean: Are you ok?
Karen McCain, DPT: What we’re trying to do with Sean is to get him to relearn how
to control his own movements. When we first started working with Sean he was, we had him
on the treadmill so that he could repattern just the basic leg movements. So that he could
remember sort of how to reciprocally step one foot after the other , and now he can
really do that. We don’t have to move his legs for him at all. But what now he’s having
a hard time with is learning where to put his body in space so that he can shift his
own weight and learn to propel his own body. So that’s really sort of where we are now.
He has limitations in his body. He’s tight in some places and stiff, and it’s different
than before his injury, so now he has to learn how to move his body with those limitations.
So, the gait trainer’s a great tool, because it gives him stability while he learns to
move, um, in his new body, so to speak. Cuz he really hasn’t had the chance to do that
since his brain injury. Karen McCain, DPT, to Sean: Don’t pick up
that other one until you feel all the weight on this foot. That’s it. Now move it.
Karen McCain, DPT: He’s come a long way. A long way.
Jenny Carter, Sean’s mother I think the future is great for Sean.
Karen McCain, DPT He’s really progressing quickly. Especially since he’s been sitting
in his chair for over four years. Sean Carter: Ahhhh I’m in heaven!
(Caption: I will walk again! I will talk again! Sean Carter, TBI patient since 2005.)
