As a mom of a child with a movement disorder, I am constantly searching for new therapies, devices, adaptive clothing, etc. to help Conner (and me) along the way. I am willing to try most anything before resorting to medication, botox, surgery, etc. This mindset is what brought me to Cuevas MEDEK Exercises (CME or MEDEK).
MEDEK is a mode of physical therapy used to develop gross motor skills in infants and children with movement disorders due to neurological dysfunction. In Conner's case, his is due to his extreme prematurity and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). MEDEK was developed by a man named Ramon Cuevas and has been around since the 1970s.
MEDEK assumes that in a gravitational environment, movement and manipulative skills require postural control or the ability to pull up against gravity and to stabilize the body in space. Gravity is considered the main stimulus that triggers the neuromuscular system to react (Source: The Canadian MEDEK Centre). It is different from traditional physical therapy, but the ultimate goals of independent sitting, standing and walking are all the same.
We are in the middle of our 6 days with Ester Fink of The Canadian MEDEK Centre. She is working with Conner twice a day for 45 minutes each session. To say that the sessions are intense, is an understatement. Conner works incredibly hard and afterwards he is exhausted. We are already seeing great progress and get encouraged as he proves he is capable of doing something new each session.
I managed to gain 10 pounds along the way...Thanks, Toronto!
One thing that struck a cord with me is one of the theories behind MEDEK. We are constantly encouraging and coaching Conner on what to do. However, when we do that, he is merely performing for us rather than moving because he wants to and knows what to do in particular situations. We are biting our tongues each session and Conner is proving that he CAN move and he WANTS to move. He isn't capable of doing everything each session, but Ester pushes him and he is up for the challenge.
We are proud of Conner and his hard work. We are looking forward to seeing how he improves the rest of the week. We feel that this will be a great addition to the incredible therapy that Conner already receives back home.