Friday, December 06, 2013
St Joseph's Health Care London
Vest Dispelling Lost in Space Sensation
It is common for people with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) to feel anxious and unsettled, often having trouble judging distances. “We think this is because some patients have difficulty sensing where their body is in space and they have to work hard to negotiate their environment,” explains physiotherapist Shannon McGuire from the acquired brain injury program at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Hospital. “They become overwhelmed and anxious because their brain is having trouble processing sensory information.”
Now, at Parkwood Hospital a specially-designed vest that combines weights and compression is helping patients know where their body is in space. The vest helps patients with balance, anxiety, fatigue, attention, concentration, and eases overstimulation in busy environments.
Not only are therapists at Parkwood Hospital forerunners in exploring the effectiveness of weighted compression vests, they also enhanced vests currently available in the market by improving the fit and adding weights.
Linda DeGroot, a patient with a mTBI, felt an immediate transformation when she put the vest on. “It was the first time I’d felt secure since sustaining the mTBI,” says Linda, a teacher who acquired a concussion when she hit her head on the ice while playing hockey. “The neoprene vest fits snugly to the body —it feels like it’s giving you a big hug,” says Shannon.
At first, Linda wore the vest whenever she left the house, but she has progressed so well that now she only wears it when she is in situations with a lot of new stimuli.
While compression vests have been in use for some time with pediatric patients with behavioural challenges such as ADHD, no research was available on using the vests for patients with a mTBI. Shannon conducted pilot research with Physiotherapy students at Western University looking at the clinical impact of the compression vests, and is now extending that research to gauge the impact of adding weight to the vest.
Linda and Shannon will be available to demonstrate and speak about the weighted compression vest on: Monday, Dec. 9 at 11:00 am, Parkwood Hospital. 801 Commissioners Rd E, London
Media Contact:
Anne Kay
Communication and Public Affairs
519-646-6100 ext 42470
Anne.kay@sjhc.london.on.ca
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