Further to my accident in November 1999 (T12-L1, compression), I had my first Laserponcture session in June 2000. Right after the session, I could immediately contract a muscle in my right thigh voluntarily.

When I began laserponcture, I used to go three times a week but now I go once every three months because my body recovers and cannot receive as much energy as before and produces it more and more itself. Before I could not feel anything, now I am aware of my whole body. I can feel it. The feelings and sensations recovered are exactly the same as before.

When standing or leaning, I can feel the weight of my body in my legs and feet, I can make out if it is the right or left one. Sensibility in my joints is back too. My feet are not flat any more but look like their initial shape. Sweating, goose bumps, hot and cold feelings are back too.

Regarding motricity, nothing happened in the very beginning. Today I have recovered the functions. The more I recover, the more physical exercises I do although I now know when I get tired. The muscle mass on my legs builds up and my legs look like they are very much alive – something one can see.

I can ride a stationary bike, my legs pushing on the pedals. I can walk with braces and a walker. I can walk in a pool with a water noodle under my arms, my legs moving better and better, more precisely and are more fluid. My body straightens up and my pelvis too. Because of the sitting position in the wheelchair, a curve appeared in my lower back but no more now. I work in the parallel bars with weights attached to my ankles.

I can move my legs forward, backward, and on the sides. My legs weight-bear more and more, they have more strength, become gradually more resistant.

Laserponcture has helped me to reach a great deal of independence in my daily activities and go beyond the awful downheartening views about being wheelchair bound for the rest of my life, which I heard when initially injured. My body is still alive, new things come back on a regular basis. It is a real process of recovery and my wish for the laserponcture technique is to be available to the greatest number of people.

Yours faithfully.

Emilie R

23 February 2006

DOB: 21 March 1979

Date of accident: 30 Nov. 1999

Pedestrian knocked over by a car

Level of injury: L1

Hospital report from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Clermont-Ferrand, 09 December 1999:
Complete flaccid paraplegia level L1 on her arrival

Limbs measurements	Pinprick tests
	11/10/04	16/05/05	02/11/06	31/07/08	16/12/08
	02/10/09	08/02/10	06/04/10	17/06/10	16/09/10
	18/11/10	09/02/11	22/04/11	22/06/11	25/08/11
	02/11/11	25/01/12

Beginning of laserponcture: 2 Sep. 2000

WISCI scoring on 16 Sep. 2010: 13

1. Motor level

• Walk with KAFOs and a walker since Dec. 2000.
• Begins to lock her right knee since 28 May 2001.
• Contracts the right quadriceps, and flexes her thigh on her pelvis (shoe on) since 24 Sep. 2001.
• Walk with a walker: one limb with a KAFO and the other limb with an AFO since Dec. 2001.
• Work on the treadmill alternately one limb with a KAFO and nothing on the other since 3 Dec. 2001.
• Can feel her feet normally when she walks since Oct. 2003.
• Is able to pull 1,250 kg with each lower limb alternately since 17 Oct. 2003.
• Is able to pull 1,500 kg with each lower limb alternately since 7 Nov. 2003.
• Is able to pull 1,750 kg with her left lower limb since 5 Dec. 2003.
• Is able to pull 1,500 kg with her right lower limb since 5 Dec. 2003.
• Is able to pull 2,500 kg with each lower limb, knee locked in abduction and adduction since 23 Jan. 2004.
• Is able to pull 3 kg with each lower limb, knee locked in abduction and adduction since 6 Feb. 2004.

2. Mobility

• Turns in her bed simultaneously at night since June 2001.
• Moves better in her bed since June 2001.
• 8 Nov. 2004: her pelvis is no more tilted and is at the same position as before her accident; feels that her trunk and pelvis is one same whole. Sitting position is felt normally as before accident.

3. Sensory level

• Light touch:
  - Normal down to the knees (dermatom L3) since 24 Jan. 2002.
  - Then  normal down to the upper half of her right leg and down to her knee on her left leg since 12 May 2003.
• Pressure:
  - Normal down to the knees since 30 June 2003.
  - Down to the calves (half way) since 9 Oct. 2003.
• Pain:
  - Normal down to the knees since 30 June 2003.
  - Down to the calves (half way) since 9 Oct. 2003
• Hot:
  - Normal down to the knees since 30 June 2003.
  - Down to the calves (half way) since 9 Oct. 2003.
• Cold:
  - Normal down to the knees since 30 June 2003.
  - Down to the calves (half way) since 9 Oct. 2003.
• Feels warmth inside her lower limbs, feet and toes.
• Sweating of right foot since 2 May 2002.
• Sweating of left foot since May 2003.
• 15 Nov. 2004: feet are no more cold but warm despite the cold outside.
• 15 Nov. 2004: can identify pressure on big toe with closed eyes; can identify if feet are up or down.

4. Bowels and bladder

• Bowels:
  - Can feel normally when her bowels are full since Feb. 2001.
  - Can feel when she empties her bowels since 28 March 2001.
  - Empties her bowels normally since 28 April 2003.
• Bladder:
  - Can feel when her bladder is full since March 2001.
  - Can feel the catheter since March 2001.
  - Can feel when passes her urine since March 2001.
  - Begins to control her sphincter since 3 April 2001 by contracting her abdominal muscles.
  - Bladder function is normal since March 2003.
• Intimate sensations:
  Normal since 28 May 2001.

Update of 6 Mar. 2009 written by Emilie
- Fully aware of my body again
- Restructuring of muscles
- More strength
- My body reshapes itself
- My sentivity is clearer
- I can walk in a pool without support or assistance; I can swim
- I can do exercise bike without small braces

Bladder, bowels and intimate sensations: same as before

Update of 25 May 2009 written by Emilie
- I have begun working with sticks (balance) since the beginning of April
- Balance is getting better
- Knees are stronger
- Calves begin to come alive again

Update of 29 June 2009 written by Emilie
- Improved all the above
- As for my excercise with sticks, I have observed that it is easier to stand up; also, I can work longer on this excercise and stand longer as well
- Ongoing evolution and progress

Update of 2 Oct. 2009
- Voluntary contraction of thigh extension in my leg and observed by my physio!
- I really begin to lock my knees
- Quadriceps and right anterior (rectus femoris) have more strength
- Walking back and forth in the pool is easier and quicker, I need less and less support from the water noodle

Update of 8 Feb. 2010
- I begin walking by myself and without any support in the pool

Update of 9 June 2010
- I can walk without the water noodle in the pool but help myself with my arms
- My legs and knees are stronger
- I can contract my calves more and more when walking

Update of 16 Sep. 2010
With the walker I can walk without any leg braces or shoes holding my ankles. This is new as until now it was very difficult, even impossible, but now I can do this exercise easily.

Update of 15 Oct. 2010: improvement
- Knees getting stronger
- Straighter when standing
- Locking my knees is the only element missing for me to stand by myself and without any assistance

Update of 18 Nov. 2010: improvement
- My walking has improved when using the walker, no braces (KAFOs)
- Better control of my legs
- My knees have gained in resistance; I can lock my knees at each step I take or almost
- Locking my knees is the only element missing for me to stand by myself and without any assistance

Update of 5 Jan. 2011: improvement
- My feet are bigger, have grown muscles, because the shoes I have been using for a long time to walk now cause small pressure sores. I shall buy a new pair of shoes for my walking.

Update of 9 Feb. 2011: improvement
- My feet are now again a good 3 1/2
- My jeans fits me better re. legs
- My calves look like before more and more
- Legs more robust, they warm up quicker and I feel the cold less icy

Update of 21 March 2011: improvement
- My osteopath noticed that my legs have recovered a normal suppleness, ie the same that is in "walking" legs.
- My abductors are stronger and it's easier to move my legs

Update of 22 April 2011: improvement
- It's been approx. a week that my feet have been hurting repeatedly; it looks like that pain re-shapes them
- My thighs get bigger and stronger, and calf muscles build up

Update of 20 May 2011: improvement
- When walking with a walker and without KAFOs or AFOs, I feel that my knees are stronger and lock more and more
- Straighter when standing

Update of 25 August 2011: improvement
- Perception of hot and cold in my legs becomes more refined
- I can walk with a walker and a light pair of trousers that doesn't hold my legs "straight" and light shoes without any major difficulty.
- My knees are getting stronger.

Update of 3 October 2011: improvement
-  In the sitting position, my legs used to touch each other but, since my last session, it does not happen any more and my legs have a more physiological position.
- I've begun walking without KAFOs, I notice my knees are getting stronger.

Update of 2 November 2011: improvement
- My knees are stronger; my calves have built up muscle

Update of 30 November 2011 : improvement
- Last summer I notice that I could feel when my feet were warm
- Lastly, I noticed that when my feet and calf muscles were cold, like before
- When walking without KAFOs and a rollator, I can lockmy knees almost every time
- The last thing I should recover now is locking my knees when standing

25 January 2012: improvement
- I feel much stronger on my legs when walking

Last update: 25 Jan. 2012