CentraState - Healthy Directions

Working Her Way Back— in the Water F or 12-year-old Rupanil Jain, what began as a family trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., turned into the most difficult journey of her life thus far. With help from aquatic therapy at CentraState Medical Center, her future is looking brighter. Rupanil and her family were involved in a nighttime car accident in North Carolina in August 2011 in which she sustained injuries to her intestines, spine and other parts of her body. Rupanil embarked on a medical odyssey in which the preteen received treatment and rehabilitation at facilities in North Carolina, New Jersey and Maryland during the ensuing six months. Therapists at a hospital in Baltimore introduced the wheelchair-dependent Rupanil— who enjoyed swimming before the car accident—to aquatic therapy, and her family noticed immediate improvement in her leg strength. Rupali Jain, Rupanil's mother, wanted her daughter to continue performing aquatic therapy after the program in Baltimore ended, so she researched centers that offered it near the family's home in Edison; that's when she found CentraState. STEPPING INTO HER FUTURE Rupanil began visiting the Aquatic Center at CentraState twice per week in late February. The Aquatic Center is home to three pools, including a HydroWorx® pool, which features an underwater treadmill and video monitoring that allows a physical therapist to supervise the patient's gait. During her visits, Rupanil spends 45 minutes to one hour in the HydroWorx® pool under the watchful eyes of Eugene Csipkay, a licensed physical therapy assistant at CentraState who specializes in aquatic therapy. Aquatic therapy at CentraState, under the guidance of physical therapy assistant Eugene Csipkay, has helped Rupanil Jain regain mobility and a more active life. "Rupanil is a tough, resilient girl. She's gone from being almost totally wheelchair bound to being able to stand and walk 20 feet or so with support," Csipkay says. "In the water, she's able to walk without support, even when I set the treadmill to fairly high rates of speed. My hope—and it's a realistic one—is that one day she'll be able to walk into physical therapy sessions instead of using a wheelchair. " For now, Rupali is just happy to see her daughter enjoying life again. "It was wonderful to see her walk outside during the summer and participate in some of the outdoor activities she's always loved," Rupali says. "Mr. Csipkay challenges her and motivates her so well. Aquatic therapy at CentraState has been excellent for Rupanil. " To learn more about aquatic therapy at CentraState, call (866) CENTRA7 (866-236-8727) or visit www.centrastate.com and search keyword "aquatic therapy." HD The Aquatic Center at OceanFirst Rehabilitation Center, located in CentraState's Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus, is the only rehabilitation facility in New Jersey with a HydroWorx® pool. 8 November/December 2012 Healthy Directions

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