Sometimes, what rehabilitation can achieve is nothing short of a miracle.
A Ph.D student of mathematics who suffered a brain injury got back to her studies and went on to publish a paper. A young insurance underwriter fell 1,000 feet while mountain biking in Switzerland and, a year-and-a-half after the accident, with intense rehabilitation, was reinstated at his demanding job. A 19-year-old woman, who was stabbed in the head on a train, managed to continue her art degree and got over her fear of travelling by public transport.
These were some of the cases highlighted by Barbara Wilson, founder and professor, The Oliver Zangwill Centre for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, Ely, UK, on Saturday. Prof. Wilson, who spoke on ‘The Art and Science of Neurorehabilitation’, delivered the 28 K. Gopalakrishna Endowment Oration, organised by Neurokrish, Neurosciences India and Trimed and sponsored by the Chatnath Trust.
“Rehabilitation is not synonymous with recovery or treatment. It is a two-way interactive process that aims at enabling people to achieve their optimum level of well-being and reducing the impact of their problem on their everyday life,” Prof. Wilson said.
Talking about the science — models, theories and frameworks combined with good principles and technology, as well the art — empathy and understanding, working with families and focusing on real-life problems as goals, Prof. Wilson explained how both were crucial to rehabilitation.
“Rehabilitation has been shown to be clinically effective and improve quality of life,” she said.
E.S. Krishnamoorthy, founder-director, Neurokrish and Trimed, said, in India, doctors and patients rarely think about rehabilitation.
“All those who have suffered an injury or gone through an illness, please reach out for rehabilitation,” he said. An optimistic doctor, an optimistic family member, good team work and hope were all that was required, he added.
