Reclaiming Natural Movement: Practical and effective therapy for ataxic movements due to neurodegenerative disorders and other causes

"When standing I feel unstable, and I often stumble and fall. What can I do to correct this and walk better?"

This is a common question people with problem movements ask. They then receive advice, yet little of it is useful to them. Through generations this continually happens, and it is because this next question remains largely unanswered.

"Naturally, how do we so easily walk?" Without hesitation or thought, every day we expertly use our natural ability. But most everyone knows nothing about how they are physically doing it.

Consider unnatural movements as "broken" natural movements. Now ask, how are broken things fixed? They are restored to their original working order. But how we use our body to make our natural movements happen is not readily understood. This explains the problem. Without knowing how we

physically create our natural movements; it is not possible to understand and correct the mechanics of the unnatural movements people develop.

This book provides useful answers to this dilemma. In simple straightforward terms with detailed illustrations, Reclaiming Natural Movement describes the practical workings of our movements. For both natural and unnatural, the functional relationship of our posture to our movements is explained.

In October 1997, Dr. Tom Clouse's world was forever changed when an evaluating neurologist informed him, "I'm sorry to tell you that you have a neurodegenerative disorder, and you will not be able to continue as a general surgeon. Also, as your symptoms and deteriorating movements progress, you will need to simplify your life to better cope with the changes. I wish there were something we could offer you in treatment or therapy, but there is nothing that seems to help." Dr. Clouse's productive life was thrown into a spiraling tailspin. The neurodegenerative disorder is spinocerebellar atrophy, and the affected parts of his brain are the cerebellum and brain stem. The disorder causes these areas to slowly degenerate, to become smaller, and this negatively affects his speech and movements. Subsequently, due to his increasing movement difficulties and near-daily falling episodes, in 2003 a neurologist advised him to begin using a walker for his safety. But he refused, determined he could do better. Instead of surrendering to the progressive degenerative effects of the disorder as the medical understanding said was inevitable, Dr. Clouse rejected his colleagues' advice, while strongly questioning and refuting some of the beliefs and information those without the disorder had published. Why? Living with the effects of the disorder, and discovering how he was able to substantially correct his movements and speech, he had improved when they had stated he could not. Through only his personal efforts and determination, Dr. Clouse worked on how to improve his movements, and succeeded to such an extent that he regained and has retained his ability to function in a near-normal capacity. As a result, he has traveled extensively throughout the United States and internationally, working with other movement-impaired people to help them improve. His discoveries and techniques fill the pages of this book.