Danny Hall writes in the Wilts and Gloucesteshire on Oct.26, 2011 about the SWINDON speedway legend Leigh Adams who checked in to the Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Clinic in California on January 1 as he bids to get his life back on track in the wake of the off road motor cycle crash on June 7 that has left him in a wheelchair.
In his first major radio interview with BBC Wiltshire’s award-winning Graham Mack, Adams said: “It is an eight-week spin in California. We’ve heard great things about the place and we are going to throw everything at it.”
Adams, 40, has been inspired by the recovery of former Danish speedway world champion Eric Gundersen, who had to learn to walk again after being involved in a race crash that left him in a coma, and also by an unnamed Australian snowboarder.
“Eric is unbelievable – an inspiration,” said Adams. “He was quadriplegic so quite a lot worse than me.
“I have also been in touch with a snowboarder over here (Australia) who recovered to walk again having gone to the (Project Walk) clinic.”
When asked whether he would ever walk again, Adams said: “If we had a crystal ball, that would be fantastic.
“It’s going to be a bit of luck; it’s mental strength and putting everything into it.
“It will be a two-year period, that’s when the bulk of the repair comes from. It’s expensive, but I want to tick every box that I can.”
Adams has already made plenty of progress.
He said “I don’t remember a thing abut the crash. It was only a couple of days later when I came to that there was no feeling in my legs.
“We’re not kicking any goals, but we are going forward “We’ve got pretty good movement in the left leg, the right leg is very slowly coming along.
“The left one has always been ahead. When I came out of hospital I had pins and needles in my left leg and now there is pretty much full movement in it. Now we have to try and build muscle.”
Adams was quick to praise the role of his family in his rehabilitation, particularly his wife Kylie.
He said: “Kylie was the rock behind me when I was racing and she still is now.”
The speedway community has got behind Adams in an effort to raise money for his very expensive treatment in the States.
There is a Benefit Meeting at Gillman Speedway in Adelaide on November 26, all proceeds to go to the Leigh Adams Rehabilitation Fund.
“The support from the speedway world has blown me away,” he said. “I had planned to come back to England in 2012 and take in the Olympics but that is on the back burner for a while.
“But we will be back, even if it takes a bit of time.”
The LegTutor will be of great assistance to Leigh Adams in his recovery from the crash as it improves functional outcomes in physical rehabilitation.
The LegTutor™ system has been developed to allow for functional rehabilitation of the lower extremity. The system consists of an ergonomic wearable leg brace and dedicated rehabilitation software. The LegTutor™ system allows for a range of biomechanical evaluation including speed, passive and active range of motion and motion analysis of the lower extremity. Quantitative biomechanical data allow for objective evaluation and rehabilitation treatment follow up. The LegTutor™ rehabilitation concept is based on performing controlled exercise rehabilitation practice at a patient customized level with real time accurate feedback on the patient’s performance. The exercises are designed in the form of challenging games that are suitable for a wide variety of neurological and orthopedic injury and disease.
The games challenge the patient to perform the exercise task to their best ability and to continue exercise practice.
The LegTutor™ allows for isolated and a combination of knee and three directional hip treatment. The system provides detailed exercise performance instructions and precise feedback on the patients exercise performance. Controlled exercise of multi joints within the normal movement pattern prevents the development of undesired and compensatory joint movement and ensures better performance of functional tasks.
The LegTutor™ system is used by many leading rehabilitation centers worldwide and has full FDA and CE certification The Tutors (HandTutor, ArmTutor, LegTutor and 3DTutor are available for children as well as adults and can be used at home vis telerehabilitation. .
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