United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello,
I had a strange event happen at church on Sunday. A person I don't know was sitting behind us in church and afterwards stopped us and said "I notice that your son has a withered arm"... I was really taken aback - first of all, his arm is not withered, and secondly, that's not how you start a conversation with someone you've never met. Anyway, she proceeded to tell us that we should go to see Anat Baniel in San Rafael, CA because she was doing amazing things with children with "bad" arms. She gave us the website and e-mail address and said that she had been there and witnessed the wonderful works this person had done for children. I told her that Joshua was being treated by TCH and she immediately shook her head and said "no, no, you don't understand, this isn't surgery or just any therapy, this is a totally different approach." She also told us that she had seen a tape of this person working with a child with a brachial plexus injury. Anyway, I've looked on the website and it appears to be a method of stretching similar to YOGA ... there isn't anything on the website that lists work with children or adults with bpi. I was thinking of e-mailing her, just to see what she had to say. I thought I'd ask here first to see if anyone had heard of her or this particular method. Thanks,
Sheri and Joshua

Gosh, Sheri, you must have shuddered when she used the term 'withered'. Makes me gasp. Good for you to have such good composure to listen to what she had to say because she meant well.

I'm not familiar with this particular method but I am familiar with Feldenkrais and it has helped me be aware of the way I move with this injury, and that awareness has brought about change in my movement and helped with my own difficulties with balance. I think the method works best with a child (or adult) who is old enough to understand their body and how it works and moves. Personally, I don't think it is a replacement for other therapies but I believe it works in conjunction well with them. That's just my own experience.

Nancy

Yoga stretches and positions are great -Max has been doing them for a while, I do them and so do his siblings, it isnt like therapy for your arm, its like Yoga, but it results in therapy for the arm...did that make sense?

I just checked out that site, that really looks great...