Untapped potential: I heard this phrase many times through my classes with the Institute of Physical Art, but did not understand the true meaning of it until three years ago when I met Simon. After working with Simon and seeing his remarkable progress did I fully comprehend the magnitude of “untapped potential.”

I had the privilege and pleasure of evaluating Simon in May of 2010. He had suffered a stroke 27 years prior, in 1983, which affected his right side causing weakness and tightness of his muscles. Prior to coming to see me, he had seen four PTs in the 5 years before and they all stated there was nothing more to be done for him.

Maybe because I am stubborn or maybe because my mentors were always harping on recognizing your patient’s “untapped potential” did I believe I could help Simon regain some of his lost function. He and I went to work on this endeavor of improving function and reaching his goals. Simon would come to an appointment and we would set our goal, and then we would work hard to accomplish it. For example, one visit his goal was to be able to open his hand, which had been closed from spasticity related to the stroke. I used hands-on and neuromuscular techniques (PNF) to achieve these goals. Simon worked harder than any patient I had that summer. I applied all my knowledge of physical therapy, human motion, the plasticity of the nervous system and mobilization of tight muscles in order to assist Simon in meeting his goals at each session.

Simon experienced phenomenial changes in part due to his passion to improve and in part due to the physical therapy he received . I can best sum up the changes he experienced by linking it with his return to his home city of Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of his two months of physical therapy. He had returned home many times since his stroke, but this trip had many distinct differences compared to any others since his stroke.

First, since his stroke he was not able to bend his knee when sitting, instead it would stick straight out in front of him. Through the months of therapy his right leg and knee had majorly improved in motion and function. When he sat on the plane his knee bent appropriately at 90 degrees. He was able to sit “like a normal person in the chair” as he puts it.

Second, he had worn a large plastic ankle brace ( an AFO) since his stroke, because of his inability to control his right foot with walking. After physical therapy he did not need to wear the ankle brace anymore. In addition, his quality of walking had improved immensely. He previously leaned to the left and dragged his right leg. When he walked off the plane in Argentina he was standing tall and walking straight.

Third, at the start of my time with him, his right hand was weak and unable to open to shake someone’s hand. When he arrived in Argentina he was able to shake the hands of his family and friends for the first time in 27 years!

I believe Simon’s passion to improve and the underlying principle through my practice of physical therapy of realizing “untapped potential” made these changes possible. As Simon had been told that he had no further progress to make, having this principe as a guide allowed me to see a door opening instead of closing. I now extend this principle to every patient i see in order to not be limited in setting goals, realizing success, and reaching their potential.