Dancer With Spinal Cord Injury Recovers at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital

After falling down a flight of stairs, classically trained ballet and tap dancer Mauricio Fernandez had a traumatic spine injury and temporary paralysis of his arms and legs. Physical therapists at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital took a unique approach to his recovery plan by incorporating dance moves. They started with the ZeroG® Gait and Balance Training System, a robotic body-weight support system on an overhead track that helped Mauricio practice dance moves without the risk of falling. The rapid up-and-down motion of tap dancing, which Mauricio started doing in a wheelchair, strengthened his leg and foot muscles. Once his balance improved, he moved to the parallel bars for ballet poses to strengthen his core and arms. When he was ready for more dynamic moves, the 50-foot track of the ZeroG gave him plenty of room for jumps and leaps. Mauricio was discharged from inpatient therapy in late November 2022 and will continue outpatient therapy to work on returning to full form.
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