Physical Therapy and Spinal Cord Injury

The choices people make and why they make them captivates me.  For a couple of days, I've been thinking about how to convey, in a kind way, something I read.  The mom's choices and actions didn't bother me - she's really doing what any good mom would do.  What bothered me, "I would call physical therapy places... they either didn't have the equipment, or the manpower or they didn't take my insurance." So, the daughter is now 2 years or so post spinal cord injury and this is what she states about the recovery center her family owns, "There's no other type of therapy place that offers hope like we do. I get to work with them and we get to reach our goals together," says Amanda.

My curiosity always takes me through some cognitive journey.  I wondered what was available in Florida for people with a spinal cord injury.  The first thing that came into my head was the Miami Project.  They have made a huge dent in understanding spinal cord injury.  I didn't easily see information on becoming a patient, but with a bit more searching, I found the University of Miami does have a Department of Rehabilitation.  Amanda's mom didn't indicate anything that occurred in the initial stages of rehabilitation or where rehabilitation occurred.  Somehow she found Project Walk.  Project Walk hinges its whole entity on the Dardzinski Method and the Five Phases of Recovery.  Interestingly, as I tried to learn more about the supporting evidence of the theory, I was led to a neat paper written by Professor Mary Galea who shared on page 8 of that document her thoughts on Project Walk. Galea also included a reference on intense exercise and spinal cord injury by ET Harness. 

Stories sell.  All the stories seem to revolve around hope.  The clients are more than willing to pay $100 or more an hour out of pocket for sessions 3 times a week.  I didn't see a single claim of actually walking independently again.  I wonder how the physical therapy sessions ended?  I mean, the mom could have continued paying for services out of pocket... the physical therapist could have continued to work with the daughter providing intense exercise.

If a patient believes the relationship with us is coming to an end too abruptly and would like more services, how do we handle the whole end of insurance benefits for the condition?  Are we a factor that propels people to pay for unproven methods and potential false hope?  Is it wrong to continue a working relationship if deep down we believe no substantial progress will occur?  Is it wrong to attempt to help a patient to learn to accept and cope?  Why do some patients view this as giving up?

~Selena