Re: More about masking??

[Guest guest]

Kilbride,

Here is a copy of a post I posted some weeks ago regarding the same issue.

Check out www.iahp.org or www.nacd.org on the Net. These two organizations support parents in running intensive rehabilitation programs for children, including the masking. I am not sure that the idea behind masking is actually spelt out on either site, so here is my attempt at a layman's version of the science behind how it works.

Basically you are placing a plastic bag (they supplied the masks - we still had a lot left over from years ago - just a good quality plastic bag of uniform size with an elastic draw string to form a reasonably tight seal on his face, which you put around the back of the head) over their face for a set period of time, many times a day. In 's case, we are doing it for a minute and 5 sec (this will obviously vary with the age of the child, size of bag you are using, etc - this set time is critical to the effectiveness of the masking), 20 times a day, with a 5 minute break between each mask. He happily lays on his back on a table, with an "A" frame of noisy toys straddling him to help keep him amused. For someone who is profoundly disabled, it always amazes me at how quick and proficient he is at getting that mask off his face, if you are not watching!!

As he breaths in the contents of the bag, and then re-breaths the same air again, during the set time the mask is on, the carbon dioxide level of his blood gradually increases, which is what activates the body to breath heavier. As the CO2 levels in the blood increase, there are two values in the side of your throat which are automatically activated to divert more blood to you brain, because it is the most important organ of the body. When you take that mask off, the first few deep breaths of oxygenated air are pumped straight to the brain. When you carry this process out repeatedly and consistently over a period of time, you improve the elasticity, and therefore the flow rate and efficiency of the major blood vessels in the brain, which improves the oxygenation of the brain and hence helps control epilepsy, because these people believe that most epilepsy is a result of a lack of oxygen to certain areas of the brain or in some case a lack in some areas and too much oxygen in other areas of the brain.

The other beneficial 'side effect' of this procedure, is that it also improves the efficiency and capacity of the lungs through all the heavy breathing that takes place. Many people with disabilities or brain injuries are not very active, simply because their disability prevents them from being so. Masking gives the lungs a workout, like going for a jog, without even leaving the table. After having done masking with intensely for 14 months back in 96-97, we have no doubt that it was a major factor in him getting off all seizure meds and having been relatively seizure free for 4 1/2 years, as compared to 40+ myoclonic seizures per day, in his early months of life. Maybe if we had continued the masking, we would not have seen the return of seizures as serve as we have over the last 5 months. There is only so much one can do, an I spent the best part of 2 years in bed with chronic fatigue syndrome (C.F.S.) during the time since we stopped masking.

Trust this is of interest and assistance.

Regards,

& Savage.

More about masking??

and ;Can you explain more about the 'masking' approach? It's something I've never heard of.Thanks a lot,, mom to Kirkland 21.5 mos. Complex OneDeficiency and CVI--- & Savage wrote:> Greetings all,> >