Carlyn-Rose Samuels Physiotherapist

11/04/2024

03/04/2024

April is Autism Awareness month.
Acceptance of neurodiversity is key to a better world
For every person on the spectrum🌈...mild or severe...you are special❤️

Case studies have shown that there is more often than not an element of low tone, low arousal levels, weak stabilizer muscle groups, joint hypermobility, motor planning difficulties, and challenges with balance and coordination. These challenges can be assessed and addressed through Physiotherapy.

In the management of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders), ensuring good gross motor abilities assists with the overall function of some of the other executive functioning required for activities of daily living.

Let's strive toward a more accepting culture for the individuals who have systems wired differently, but not incorrectly at all!

22/03/2024

A late post for the happiest differences in my life and in the lives of many. Individuals with Downs Syndrome are examples of how circumstances shouldn't change your outlook on life. There is a rainbow 🌈 at the end of every storm ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜🤎🖤🩶🤍

11/03/2024

Meet Team Nura💙A true Warrior Family.
Nura Mohamed is 19 years old (turning 20 in a few more days!) and is living with Cerebral Palsy.
Her Mom and Dad, Razia and Ayub, are living with Cerebral Palsy.
This Family, living with Cerebral Palsy, achieved something seemingly impossible on Sunday 10th March 2024. Together they crossed the finish line for the Cape Town Cycle Tour! Mom and Dad cycled across and Nura was seated in a specialized buggy (customized to her needs as the one most affected by Cerebral Palsy) and was "pulled" across the finish line as she enjoyed the sunshine and cool breeze 😎

Well done to this beautiful, inspiring family. One of many families living with Cerebral Palsy who still go out and make every effort to live a meaningful life filled with happy memories and great achievements like this. When one thinks something is impossible, a reflection on this family and the challenges they face daily yet they don't allow obstacles like Cerebral Palsy - a lifelong neurological condition- to hold them back from providing Nura with adventure and opportunity.

This is not their first crossing of a finish line as it wasn't there 1st Cycle Tour and hopefully it won't be their last.

If this family won't let "difference in ability" hold them back from achieving impossible things like cycling across Cape Town, swimming with Dolphins, visiting Mickey Mouse in Disneyland and sailing the oceans on cruise ships......why would we, as abled bodies, allow our obstacles to hold us back from achieving our dreams?

Many families living with Cerebral Palsy are out there doing the impossible.... let's follow suit or support them as they go.... you never know how hard someone is fighting until you ask....and if you don't ask you will never know.

Take a minute of your Monday to salute the families fighting for their children's quality of life...no matter how big or small...miracles come in all shapes and forms and I am honored to know a Warrior Family like this one.

Well done Team NURA💙🚲🚲🦽

07/03/2024

May Thursday be a reminder that it all stems from somewhere....

The spinal column can be described as the building blocks of our entire skeletal frame. Without it, we wouldn't be functional or alive. It's responsible for housing our spinal cord - supplier of movement and sensation.

Many warriors are battling with the physical implications of having an injured or underdeveloped spine or a degenerative spine, which is almost inevitable for us as nature takes its course. Let them see this image and be reminded that it takes a huge amount of courage to face reality and "spine-up" as best they can.

When they say grow a back-bone and stand up for yourself...this is the image that will tell you why you should grow a spine! Be brave! Branch out and grow!

Look after your spine... whether fully grown, injured, or still figuring it out.... You were meant to reach for the sky...irrespective.

03/03/2024

Breathing is a function we all take advantage of.
It has so much purpose, and yet we forget how important it is.

Did you know that Physiotherapists can treat chest/respiratory conditions like upper and lower respiratory conditions; cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Using various techniques, Physio can assist in clearing secretions and making breathing easier.

For the small humans: Mobilising secretions and encouraging coughing and deep breathing through play as well as manually removing excess secretions or mucus with suctioning for the ones who can not yet cough on demand

For the other humans: Manual techniques such as percussion and vibes as well as active breathing exercises and various other techniques to make breathing easier for all

02/03/2024

A beautiful beginning to a leap of faith.
Thank you to everyone for their part month one.
A biiig reality check on many things and many lessons learned.
I am grateful that something that feels sooo new yet isn't has the potential to change a life or two as we grow.
To the patients who came eagerly and excitedly as they wanted to be first to see and experience what we had in store, thank you.
To the patients who patiently wait for the home visits...never on time but we are trying..😳, thank you.
To the patients who walked the path to this many years ago and have continued to do so as we have finally been blessed with OUR official space.. . A space that YOU have helped create and shape, thank you
To the very new patients who know nothing else but this but have embraced the newness and the simplicity of it, thank you.

To all the friends and family of the Practice, I say thank you. A million times thank you for every offering in this crazy time we have been through.
You were the wind in our back and not the spit in our face as we embarked on this path. We are grateful.

To the Big Man sitting at the head of the board, thank you. Your mercy and abundance of grace is evident as YOU held my hand to getting to it and always through it thank you. YOU did a pretty good thing God. My gifts and talents are committed to YOUR hands to serve your plan and purpose.

Let's take on month two!

C.S💚

21/02/2024

Midweek Magic...

Met a patient today who has been in need of a meaningful intervention geared toward own goals and not what others thought was needed. It was validation of of the important role a Physio can play in holistic care of the human beings we get to work with.

The magic was so evident during his session. & particularly after....an honest blessing to play a small role in bringing some happiness to someone's being.

May the magic continue...

17/02/2024

It takes a special kind of people to fearlessly take care of "differently abled" human beings. The tiny humans, the growing humans, the almost adult humans, the middle-aged humans, the aging humans, and the frail humans.

Today, I met a beautiful little boy whose abilities are altered because he has 1 extra copy of a chromosome, chromosome 21, trisomy 21.

Typically, 46 chromosomes determine what our genetic makeup will be - what our bodies look like and what it will be able to do.

He has 47.

1 seemingly small alteration in genetics.

A 1 in 600 live birth prevalence. It cannot be prevented. It's an anomaly that just happens.

This 1 extra chromosome copy changes brain and body development, 1 anomaly with a life time of deviation. 1 life time of navigating and building and growing and adapting and loving and helping and coping and accepting and figuring it all out.

This little guy is blessed to have a whole team on his side to support and nurture him as his little body and brain figures itself out.

The question should never be "Why me?" but rather.."Why not me?"Blessed and highly favored people are given very important jobs irrespective of whether we believe that or not.

How better to do God's work than take care of His very special people. Prayers to the parents and caregivers of the "different" humans.

Taking on the challenge with an even if attitude is definitely what I witnessed today and it was beautiful 💙

16/02/2024

The narratives we create for ourselves are important in what we know as self care and self-confidence.

We are what we think is not such a crazy concept, after all.

Research has also shown that the stronger people's self-confidence beliefs (assessed independently from their goals), the higher the goals they set for themselves and the firmer their commitments are to them (Locke et al., 1984).

Make this weekend a time for reflection on who you are and what SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-based) goals you will set for yourself.

Happy Weekend Every Body.... I am and You are.

16/02/2024

Both....

Brain controls it all, but without heart, it isn't possible.

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Intro to neurodivergence...