Case Studies

Mr. K, a 42 year old software engineer was diagnosed with this devastating neurodegenerative disorder in March, 2017. The first sign he observed was not being able to clip his finger nails using a nail clipper which was followed by slow onset of pain in the right shoulder. As days melted into months, his disability went on increasing and mundane daily activities like dressing and bathing became difficult. He was unable to lift his right shoulder, there was severe weakness and pain on movement. He also noticed that he was unable to rotate his forearm, meaning that he was not able to place his hand with the palm facing the roof. The weakness went on progressing to the other extremities as well and started affecting his walk. He went for multiple consultations and underwent various neurological examinations where he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a motor neuron disease that causes the death of neurons controlling the voluntary muscles. He came to Plexus in March, 2019 with difficulty in walking and severe pain and weakness in his upper limbs. His main complaint was not being able to use his hands for his daily activities. A thorough examination was carried out which revealed that the extent of the problem was much more than it appeared to be. Being a neurodegenerative condition, the disease had progressed to a great extent. There was not only weakness but also severe tightness in all his joints. He was inducted into the Regenerative Medicine program which included with various custom-made rehabilitative programs to relieve him from his concerns. The goal of Regenerative Medicine in this case is to stop or slow down the disease progression. He underwent a custom made treatment program comprising of physiotherapy that focused on relieving his joint pain and stiffness, improving the strength of his lower limbs and improve walking; occupational therapy that focused on the hand functions to help improve his ability to perform his daily life activities and speech therapy to strengthen his oral structures and improve his breathing and swallowing as a preventive measure. He was also provided with a customized splint that focused on his thumb drop and helped in attaining an active grip. After a period 45 days of undergoing treatment, it was seen that he was able to perform all his daily activities independently. He was able to grip objects of varied sizes including the fine objects which were impossible to grip when he enrolled into the treatment; pain and tightness in the arms disappeared and his walking improved. Being a progressive neurodegenerative condition, it was a herculean task to tackle the disease at this stage but results were overwhelming for both the patient and the treating team. The videos show a comparison between his clinical state at the time of enrollment into the program and at the completion of the treatment.

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common and most disabling chronic illnesses that affects a person holistically. Right from facial expressions to a shuffling gait, it affects the patient from top to toe. What can be worse for a doctor who has spent about forty years treating and curing patients with multiple illnesses than to suffer from a crippling disease like Parkinson’s? Dr N came to us with a full blown Parkinson’s plus syndrome. He had great difficulty in walking, multiple freezing episodes, history of falls, fixed gaze, poor hand writing and incomprehensible speech. Parkinson’s had affected his life and his role as a doctor. Due to poor speech output and illegible handwriting which was stricken by micrographia, his patients were having a tough time seeking for his consultation and advice. A thorough google search brought him to Plexus. Here he underwent Regenerative Rehabilitation for a period of two months. Under this program he was subjected to regenerative medicine, intense physiotherapy and custom made occupational therapy and speech therapy. The physical therapists focused on regaining his confidence in walking by improving his balance and reducing the freezing episodes. The occupational therapists focused on improving his participation and performance in his daily life tasks and most importantly his handwriting. Being a doctor, handwriting was a major tool of his work life and regaining that was a challenging task. Towards the end of the stipulated time frame, he was able to walk with great ease, climb stairs, his facial expressions and social participation improved, his handwriting became legible and he was able to write his prescriptions. Also his overall participation in daily activities improved and the influence of the disease on his life role as a doctor reduced.Moreover, the dosage of syndopa( a commonly prescribed drug for Parkinson’s) reduced by it’sone-third.   Click here to view his testimonial Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqHfg2N5uD4&list=UU8MtFhGyjftCjOgqzfr8ulQ&index=18

Mr. P, a 26 year old boy from Andhra Pradesh came to us with deficits in his cognitive functioning that affected his daily life. As per the parents, he had difficulty in reading time, balance was affected as he had difficulty in maintaining an upright posture on different surfaces, among his daily living skills he had difficulty in eating (there was spillage of food), money management and community mobility was also impaired. On a detailed assessment it was found that he was a case of Cerebral Palsy with poor cognitive functioning. He had a low level of arousal, difficulty in following commands, poor attention and concentration skills, poor social skills (inadequate eye contact, fear while communicating, decreased facial expressions and poor expression of emotions), balance, coordination and hand functions were affected, poor hand-writing skills, poor money management skills. He underwent treatment at Plexus for a period of two and a half months which included physiotherapy to improve his muscle tone, balance and endurance and occupational therapy to deal with the challenges of his daily life. During the sessions he was trained for improving his communication skills, money management and budgeting skills and all his cognitive deficits were targeted through custom made occupational therapy activities. Apart from this, his community mobility was achieved by training him to ride a bicycle in our occupational therapy sessions. While the physiotherapists focused on attaining and improving his balance responses and coordination skills, the occupational therapists translated the same skills in his daily life through activities. At the end of the program, Mr. P was an entirely different person, his money management skills improved considerably, he was even able to perform complex skills such budgeting with no assistance, his social skills, handwriting and daily life improved as a whole and he started participating in his family business.

Childs’s first steps are a moment of exhilaration for the parents. The joy they feel when the child comes running to them only to crash into their unconditionally loving arms cannot be explained. But joy is an understatement when it comes to the first independently taken steps of a 1 year old child from Chennai affectionately known as Mani. After undergoing a comprehensive treatment at Plexus, Mani, diagnosed at birth with Cerebral Palsy took her first steps this month. According to the mother, Dr. Puneeta, this is a leap of faith for her and her family. She expresses, “I can’t put into words how and what we all are feeling. We found the right place, at the right time  and the right doctor – Dr. Na’eem Sadiq. Thanks is a small word and it cannot fit the enormity of this moment for us. We thank the entire team of Plexus for bringing about this miraculous change in my child.” This is just one example of the excellent work that is carried out by Dr. Na’eem Sadiq and his team at Plexus. Due to his enormous contribution to the field of neurology, he has been globally recognized and felicitated with over 45 national and international awards. Recently he received the Times Excellence award for the best neurologist on November 30^th, 2018 at Sheraton Grand Hotel, Bangalore. Apart from developmental neurological disorders, he has expertise in a number of other conditions, autism, developmental delay, parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, motor neuron disease, dementia, neuropsychiatric conditions to name a few. His undying passion to improve lives, knowledge, expertise and ability to empathize with his patients is what makes him a leading figure in the field of neurology. He aims to make Plexus the leading healthcare service provider recognized globally for excellent patient care, and highly specialized rehabilitative services.

Ms. A is a 46 year old art teacher from Maldives. On 1^st April, 2017 a trivial fall that happened in her response to a “cockroach” lead to a series of life changing events. She suffered from a high level spinal cord injury that rendered her paralyzed and helpless for a lifetime.  She suffered from C5-6 spinal cord injury. She underwent a surgery that fixed the vertebral fracture at Maldives itself and started receiving rehabilitative treatment. By virtue of the nature of the injury she was able to raise her arms slightly and bend elbows and had total paralysis of wrists, hands, trunk and legs. She was able to speak but breathing was weakened. She needed assistance with all activities of daily living like brushing, bathing, dressing, eating etc. One year after this unfortunate incident she came to Plexus with the dream of becoming independent once again. Being an art teacher in a pre-primary school she wanted to be able to use her hands again to draw and paint. She desperately wanted to get back to her work. On assessment it was found that she had severe shoulder stiffness on both the sides, no trunk control, she was not able to sit, complete paralysis of hands and legs, no sensations in her trunk and legs. She was in a “bed ridden” state on her arrival at Plexus. In addition to the innumerable physical deficits and problems, her mental state was also very low, she was extremely de-motivated and depressed due to her condition. A team of highly specialized professionals attended to her complains and she was inducted into the Plexus Regenerative Rehabilitation Program which comprised along with intensive physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Goals were set and regularly her condition was reviewed with the team. The goals of rehabilitation were to achieve maximum trunk control, reduce stiffness of all the limbs and gradually gain independence towards her daily activities. As days became months Ms. A gained more and more independence in her daily activities. The stiffness present in her shoulders disappeared, she started sitting on her own and her trunk became stronger, she started eating a sandwich first and later rice on her own and most importantly she was able to write, draw and paint with her right hand. Her strong will, the super specialized treatment services and the continuous motivation by team Plexus made her achieve her dream of being able draw and paint. The adjacent image is a painting done by Ms. A. As time unfolded itself, she was seen standing with assistance towards the end of her treatment program.

Baby Indu (name changed) is a 10-year-old girl from Bangalore. She had been suffering from ataxia telangiectasia, a genetic condition which was believed to have no treatment in medical science so far.

Her family history includes father working in a cycle repair shop and mother housewife. She has one younger sister also. As for her past medical history, she was growing fine till 2013 when she started suffering from bouts of fever with recurrent respiratory infections. This was followed by progressive weakness in upper and lower limbs. Eventually she lost her ability to perform daily activities like bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and toileting independently. Her condition started deteriorating and she was unable to walk, talk and follow commands. She was brought to Plexus in December 2017.

On assessment it was found out that she had slow response to verbal commands, poor reaction time, very poor postural control and low arousal level. Whenever she attempted to walk she had frequent falls as her balance was also poor. Besides, she had poor eye-hand coordination, coupled with poor speech.

She underwent three and a half months of intensive treatment at Plexus. She was treated by a specialized medical team involving neurologist, physiotherapist, occupational, speech and language therapists.

It was a pleasant surprise that after treatment her condition improved by almost 50-60 percent! There was a noticeable improvement in her level of arousal. She was more alert, started to respond faster to verbal commands. She was able to carry out all her activities independently. Her walking balance, which was much of a concern in the past, showed signs of great improvement. What is more, after the treatment she was able to play cricket with her younger sister! Her holistic development does not end there, her speech improved by 50%. Now she is able to recite rhymes like “twinkle twinkle little stars” with actions.

For her parents seeing her improvement was nothing short of a miracle.

About a year ago, Mr S was forced to quit his job as typing on the keyboard was fast becoming an next to impossible task. The diagnosis revealed that he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis – a condition where nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged, resulting in severe muscle weakness, muscle spasms, and difficulty in muscle coordination.

Traditional treatment and medications used to treat Multiple Sclerosis, while modestly effective, can have side effects as well as be poorly tolerated by the patient - as was the case with Mr S. No amount of consultations with neurologists seemed to help and the weakness in his arms and legs continued to worsen. This debilitating disease was making even walking or raising arms a difficulty. On the brink of losing all hope of recovery, he was introduced to Dr Na’eem, and through him to the wonders.

After carefully evaluating his condition, the Plexus team designed an extensive program for Mr S. Our focus was on returning function, preventing relapse, and reducing the existing damage. A holistic treatment plan, which included with other rehabilitation techniques such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and Chinese medicine, was put in place.

Mr S witnessed remarkable progress through the initial rehabilitation program. Our team ensured strict adherence to the program and proper, timely care. In just a few months, his condition had improved by 85%. His arm regained strength and he could now lift weights up to two kilograms. A quick recovery was on the cards and he soon returned to his hometown and rejoined work. Today, he is living a normal productive life, so much so that he regularly plays football. Truly an incredible recovery for someone who could not even walk a few months ago. Mr S’s story is one of triumph and a true inspiration for all Multiple Sclerosis patients facing setbacks in life.

When 65-year-old Mrs Devi from Jharkhand made arrangements to come to Plexus, she wasn’t even sure she could make the trip. Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Mrs Devi found it excruciating to get around the house, let alone travel for treatment. Her legs were weak, her feet were partially numb, and she experienced significant hand tremors. To make matters worse, she had recently become wheelchair bound.

The mother of two and grandmother of four had been suffering from Parkinson’s for the past seven years. The disease left her severely handicapped, leaving her unable to perform simple daily activities. Her condition got worse to a point where she felt too weak to even play with her grandchildren – which she considered her greatest loss.

Over the years, her condition had continued to deteriorate, with the onset of severe imbalance issues, muscle stiffness, and slowness in her body and gait. Multiple visits to doctors and multispeciality clinics all proved futile. Traditional treatments and procedures ultimately could not bring Mrs Devi back to her grandchildren. When Mrs Devi finally arrived at Plexus, our team performed extensive diagnostics to understand her condition. After careful analysis, a complete treatment program was designed keeping her specific needs in mind. The ensuing two-month therapy focused on helping her regain strength, build endurance, and improve flexibility. Our holistic approach included a unique combination physiotherapy, occupational therapy, acupuncture, and other rehabilitation therapies suited to a PD patient.

At the end of the two months, Mrs Devi felt a great reduction in the stiffness and tremors attacking her body. The treatment had made a huge difference in her life -- it was now possible for her to get dressed, shower, perform daily chores, and walk normally on her own.

Today, Mrs Devi lives her life without anything holding her back. She has even reported back to Plexus saying that her mood had improved a lot, she has renewed energy, and that she can now manage herself around the house independently. In fact, she even helped throw a party for her grandson’s birthday last year, where she helped with all the cooking and preparations. A year ago, this kind of activity would have been unthinkable for Mrs Davi. But thanks to Plexus, her story of recovery and rejuvenation inspires PD patients all over the world, and gives them hope that they too can regain control of their lives with the right treatment.

It was four years ago when Mr A, a 58-year-old businessman from Bangalore, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) after experiencing symptoms for several years prior. He initially thought it was simply a trembling spell, until he started experiencing other symptoms such as involuntary movements, muscle rigidity, and a slow shuffling gait.

Although he was able to cope with the chronic disease initially, with time, the stiffness in his neck and back, and tremors in his arms and legs made day-to-day activities increasingly painful. Visits to multiple doctors proved to be fruitless. Mr A’s condition only worsened, and soon he was unable to chew, swallow, walk, write, or even speak clearly. The trauma and depression that followed made him a recluse – withdrawing from society almost entirely.

However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. On April 2015, Mr A visited Plexus Neuro Center, albeit with little hope for improvement. Nevertheless, an in-depth initial investigation by our specialists put to motion an individual treatment route specifically designed for him and the severity of his condition. The treatment was planned to help him regain strength, endurance, and flexibility - essential needs for a PD patient. The plan comprised intensive rehabilitation programmes, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy, which steadily rebuilt Mr A’s body and motor skills to perform daily functions.

In just two months, Mr A was a changed man. The treatment significantly improved his condition; he was now able to perform his daily tasks independently. This also gave Mr A his feeling of control and agency back, as he was actually doing things to help himself.

The biggest change though, was in his mental outlook. He began to dismiss his so-far negative attitude towards his condition and adopted a more positive outlook. With his hope restored, Mr A began to re-acclimate himself with society. It was very evident that his quality of life had changed - even his unclear, mumbling voice had been replaced with a louder, stronger one.

Thanks to Plexus’ treatment, what seemed like an impossible dream for Mr A, is now a reality. He is currently close to a 95% recovery. He no longer experiences any PD symptoms and is becoming fitter, stronger, and healthier by the day. In short, Mr A’s story of perseverance and patience is an inspiration for patients worldwide suffering from Parkinson’s.