Advances in medical technology have helped most brain stroke patients with early diagnosis and critical care. Rehabilitation, though, has not kept pace — abnormal motor control and spasticity continue to be a challenge around the world.
What particularly bothered Dr. Rajul Vasa, a physical therapist from Mumbai, was that stroke victims had to reconcile themselves to dependence on others for the most basic things. “I realised that traditional medical rehabilitation techniques did not solve the root cause: a parlaysed body no longer taking responsibility of controlling the body’s centre of mass against the forces of gravity. When I put myself in the patients’ shoes, I felt that if I would not accept such a life of dependence, why would anyone else?”, says Dr. Vasa.
Determined to find a solution, Dr. Vasa took the unchartered path of experimenting clinically on chronic stroke patients. Her subjects willingly submitted — they were suffering the after-effects of stroke for six months to 10 years and wanted complete recovery.
The experiments resulted in the ‘Vasa Concept’, which involves re-organising the brain, post-stroke, using the patient’s own brain and body as against man-made tools for recovery. The technique exploits gravity to expand the boundaries of movement of the centre of mass of the body on the paralysed side of the spine. In other words, the paralysed side of the body is made responsible to control itself. Centre of mass is the point around which the body’s total mass is balanced. Medically, a stroke results in paralysis of one side or sometimes both sides of the body, which results in the inability of the body to safeguard the brain against injury in the event of a fall. Most patients, as well as rehabilitation teams, are afraid of falls due to gravitational force. To prevent these, contemporary rehabilitation uses external supportive devices for support. The Vasa Concept, however, exploits gravity to develop control from within with exercises specifically designed for each patient. “In other words, contemporary science focuses on the paralysed muscle; the Vasa Concept focuses on re-reorganising, the self-organised brain,” says Dr. Vasa.
The treatment
Dr. Vasa started the Rajul Vasa Foundation in 2006 with an aim to help patients suffering from various motor control disorders, for free.
Before the patient is called for treatment at their centre at Prarthana Hall, Dadar, where sessions are held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday, Dr. Vasa looks up the condition of the patient on video. She plans the treatment programme with exercises for the week ahead.
“What is unique about Vasa treatment is that the parents or the family members have to take an active role in helping the patients do the exercises or follow the dietary plan chalked out for them. Involvement of family is essential,” says Trupti Shingala, a volunteer since 2006.
The following Sunday, Dr. Vasa minutely reviews the results of the short-term goal planned for individual patients. “The parents or the family members are encouraged to maintain a record as well as videos of the exercises and the changes taking place. This provides a boost when they compare the films before and after treatment,” says Girish Achwal, a volunteer for the past four years who heads the audio-visual department.
With the number of patients rising from a handful in 2006 to now in thousands both in India and abroad, Dr.Vasa began a centre in Nashik on August 15, 2015 and another one in the Turku, Finland on March 8, 2016.As in Mumbai, the treatment in these centres too is free.
Vipul Shah, a businessman from Ghatkopar whose son Rohan (16) is going through the Vasa treatment for cerebral palsy, says his son had a motor control disorder from birth. He was advised physiotherapy, prescribed huge dosages of drugs, given stem cell treatment in Bengaluru as well, but continued to be in a vegetative state. After almost four years of the Vasa treatment, Rohan not only sits on his own, but also does his exercises without support, and even goes cycling.
For Sheetal Padmashali, an Airoli resident, Dr. Vasa is ‘an angel’. Her son, Shreyas (12), was a normal child till March 2011, when, Shreyas was five and a half years old, the family met with a road accident in Mangalore. Shreyas suffered severe brain and spinal cord injury. “There was no hope that our child will even survive. But Shreyas was a fighter. However, while he survived, he was bedridden with no movement or sensation,” she says. The child underwent two stem cell operations and numerous sessions of physiotherapy with almost 11 medicines per day. After three-and a-half years of the Vasa treatment, Shreyas not only sits on his own, but also goes to school and plays chess.
Paucity of funds
Despite the paucity of funds which prevents Dr. Vasa from starting centres in other parts of the country, she carries on. Dr. Vasa trains young therapists to learn techniques of different postures, how to and how much to support to work long hours with patients each day.
RVF has around 13 volunteers and the Mumbai premises have been donated to them for free. Parents, who are the biggest beneficiaries, are also its greatest promoters. Like Bharat Bhai (55), businessman from Borivali, who was rendered immobile by a brain stroke in 2009. With the therapy, Mr. Shah not only walks and eats on his own but also comes to the centre every Sunday to help others. For him, it is no less than a new lease of life. “I am willing to devote my time and energy in helping others do the various exercises and boost their morale,” he says.
Foundation
Rajul Vasa Foundation
Founder
Dr. Rajul Vasa
Founded
2006
Email: rajul@brainstrokes.com
Web:www.vasaconceptforcerebralpalsy.com ; www.brainstrokes.com ; www.rvfindia.org
