Guillain Barré Syndrome Case Study

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Guillain Barré syndrome is a rare disorder that can cause muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

PubMed Health describes Guillain-Barré syndrome as a serious disorder that occurs when the body’s defense (immune) system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system. The extent of the disorder ranges and can be extremely serious in its worst form. This condition may occur at any age, often after an infectious illness, but it is most common in people of both sexes between ages 30 and 50. Guillain-Barré syndrome damages parts of nerves causing tingling, muscle weakness and paralysis. The sudden onset of the disorder, combined with its debilitating symptoms can make everyday activities challenging and frustrating. Coping with Guillain-Barré syndrome can be difficult and finding ways to regain muscle strength to perform daily activities can mean the world to someone who is suffering.

Charles Nunefeld faced a recovery from an extreme case of Guillain-Barré syndrome where he was paralyzed from head to toe and placed on a ventilator for 7 months. Beginning on July 18, 2012, he spent almost 3 years in and out of 5 different hospitals working on his recovery. In January of 2015, he finally came home. Although he had used some pool therapy in other locations, finding the warm water HydroWorx 500 Series pool at Peak Performance Physical Therapy in Lynbrook, NY made a major difference.

As a result of Guillain-Barré, Charles came to Peak Performance Physical Therapy unable to transfer out of a wheelchair by himself and hadn’t gone up and down stairs in over two years.  Since he has been working on the underwater treadmill in the warm water of the therapy pool, he has been able to walk 20 minutes in the pool unassisted.  He was also finally able to walk up and down the stairs in the pool for the first time.

Watch as Matthew Giuntini, Aquatic Therapist at Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Charles Nunefeld describe the use of aquatic therapy and how it has benefitted Charles in his recovery:

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