What Neuro-IFRAH means to the therapists

“I can say, without any doubt, that everything I do with ankles and feet of my stroke patients I learned from Waleed Al Oboudi, in his classes or working in his clinics. This has not been covered during my PT education in either BS, MS or my PhD training.

I don’t think my situation is unique: I have numerous patients, coming to me from the major rehab centers in the Tri-State area reporting that their ankles “have not be stretched” before they came to my clinic. I don’t think it is a result of the neglect on part of the therapists employed by other rehab centers, it is simply that they were not educated in this area at all.”

Arthur Zolotarevsky, PT

“Everything as it relates to Neuro-rehabilitation treatment and the management of the array of issues the brain injured population experiences, I learned from Waleed Al-Oboudi. In school, a very fragile foundation was set as basic wheelchair transfers were taught by using momentum and little to no incorporation of the affected body part. From there, the harm that such strategies caused for the upper extremity, the foot and the rest of the body was never discussed. For transitional movements such as a transfer (and many other) Waleed developed protocols and sequences to effectively facilitate normal components of movement. These strategies helped me progress my patient and further normalize movement, which gave my clients more options. This is an arbitrary example/narrow condition of the wide scope of information that I have attained from direct mentorship by Waleed.   Furthermore, all information I have learned regarding positioning, mobilizing, stretching, and facilitation of the foot I have learned from Waleed, a true pioneer in the field of the Neuro-rehab.”

Sunil Mathew, PT, DPT

“As a Physical Therapist I am grateful for ALL of the knowledge I have learned from Waleed Al-Oboudi MOT, OTR. The therapy that I use in my clinical practice to improve the outcomes of the patient population that I treat, patients affected by a stroke or brain injury, I learned directly from my mentor Mr. Al-Oboudi.

While there are countless strategies, techniques, ideas, and so much more that I have learned from him that I have not seen anywhere else, I am specifically grateful for learning how to effectively assess and manage the lower extremities including foot and ankle, as well as upper extremity including wrist and fingers.
I had not been exposed to, nor learned these skills in PT school nor through other PT continuing education, however I am forever grateful that I was able to learn these skills through the Neuro-IFRAH approach by Waleed Al-Oboudi, MOT OTR and that I was able to be exposed to and learn from an occupational therapist who developed the approach with effective strategies for treating patients affected by a stroke or brain injury.”

Spencer Goff, PT, DPT

“I recall learning little to nothing past the bone structure in the foot in PT school. Anything that I have learned about the foot: mobility, stretching, the importance of the foot and the mechanics of the foot in transfers, standing, and mobility, and the importance of protecting it and preventing further damage, I have learned all from Waleed Al Oboudi.”

Erin Lewis, PT, DPT

“We were taught the gait model in school but nothing about how to truly assess and manage someone with a neurological deficit. The foot was covered in anatomy structurally but nothing beyond that. I had taken continuing Ed that looked at foot but again from an orthopedic standpoint. I knew nothing about how to truly mobilize the foot and start to increase control for stoke or brain injured patients until I took Waleed's information. Of course, it could be said for any topic not only foot and gait.”

Brad Potts, PT

“I can honestly say that everything I learned regarding gaining mobility and active control of the foot when treating patients affected by a stroke or brain injury I learned from Waleed Al- Oboudi MOT, OTR in courses and while working in his clinics. How to rehab a foot in patients affected by stroke or brain injury was never covered in my PT education. There have been numerous patients I have treated in the rehab setting, who prior to working with us at a Neuro-IFRAH clinic had never had their AFO removed with a plan to transition them out of the braces with active control. Having a plan to progress patients out of their orthotics is unique to the Neuro-IFRAH approach.”

Trudi Maaskant, PT

“Everything that I have learned in regards to effective assessment and management of the foot in patients who have sustained a stroke or brain injury, I have learned from Waleed Al-Oboudi, MOT OTR. This statement is not exclusive to the foot but applies to the entire person.

Unfortunately PT programs and continuing education courses are failing to prepare therapists appropriately and therefore failing our patients.

As I began learning from Waleed it became very clear to me that his information was lightyears ahead of anything being taught today, more importantly, as I apply this information to actual patients the outcomes are self evident."

Arndreke Armstrong, DPT

“I can openly say that upon graduating from my  PT school, I knew nothing about the foot/ankle in  regards to all  neuro-assessment and neuro-management. 

After my university, while working as a licensed PT and taking continuing education seminars we were just told to put a solid AFO on patient's affected foot and forget it!

That continued to be the case until I met Mr. Waleed Al-Oboudi. The information that he has been sharing with therapist, students, patients and their families has been life-changing!

As a clinician, I have been working exclusively with patients affected by stroke and brain injury at the level of the brainstem and above. I am yet to witness a patient that his or her foot/ankle as well as various other body parts and systems have not been neglected, forgotten, mistreated somewhere during the rehabilitation process as I meet that patient.

Everything that I practice and apply every working day I have learned from Mr. Waleed AL-Oboudi"

Rafal Pawlik,  PT

“When I was first introduced to Waleed Al-Oboudi’s information as an inpatient physical therapist, I knew that it would change the course of my career forever.  It is the only approach that I have been exposed to that has a plan to manage the whole person suffering from a stroke or brain injury from the beginning to the end.  Now I am a physical therapist who primarily treats the neurological patient population. My every day assessment and management are shaped by the strategies, techniques, and ideas I continue to learn from Waleed Al-Oboudi, MOT OTR. I am specifically thankful for learning how to assess, manage, and progress the lower extremities, including the foot and ankle.  I have personally seen many patients transformed for the better by working with Waleed Al-Oboudi or skilled therapists trained by Waleed Al-Oboudi.  I will always be grateful for the gift of Neuro-IFRAH® to the therapeutic community. "

Jennifer Frick,  PT, DPT