AVORA Health
  • About
  • Services
  • Conditions
  • Tools & Technology
  • Locations
  • Contact
  • Pay My Bill
  • About
  • Services
  • Conditions
  • Tools & Technology
  • Locations
  • Contact
  • Pay My Bill
Picture

​Welcome to
the AVORA Blog


Kim Fox, DPT
​Doctor of Physical Therapy
Specialized Vestibular Provider
​Founder & Clinical Director
Picture

Breakthrough Medical Device

7/20/2022

 
On August 10th, 2021, the FDA completed an extensive review process and designated GyroStim as a Breakthrough Medical Device, stating GyroStim has: “a reasonable expectation for providing more effective treatment relative to the current standard of care for balance disorders and vestibular dysfunction.” 
​
The Breakthrough Device designation is a monumental accomplishment and a significant distinction that sets GyroStim apart from all other devices in its category: GyroStim is the first and only device for the treatment of balance disorders and vestibular dysfunction the FDA has designated as a Breakthrough Medical Device.

Hearts With Hands

9/17/2021

 
Picture
​A big thank you going out to Dr. Keith Sales and his family for getting involved in heartswithhands.org. Hearts with Hands provides support to families who are in need. The recent flooding in WNC from hurricane Ida displaced and disrupted the lives of numerous families.

​Dr. Sales volunteered AVORA to be a donation drop-off site and has received over 3 barrels of goods from donors.

Indigenous Peoples Day

9/8/2020

 
In keeping with our motto of "Forward Thinking Forward Moving", AVORA has joined the State of North Carolina in renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. To some, this may seem overdue. To others, unnecessary or even wrong. For the numerous American Indians and especially our fellow American's still living on the Cherokee Indian Reservation it may at least provide some comfort to know they are briefly recognized as being long inhabitants of the land and it was not vacant land prior to the arrival of Columbus. Attached is an article of the proclamation in 2018. I hope you will join us in adopting new ways of thinking about what we should being doing rather than doing what we have always done. Thank you. https://www.theonefeather.com/2018/10/north-carolina-governor-proclaims-indigenous-peoples-day/
​

COVID-19

7/30/2020

 
Picture
Who would have thought this would be the new normal? We were really on the fence whether to write a blog post on the COVID-19 Pandemic or not. I'm glad we waited to avoid adding more hype to the situation.  With 6 months of the pandemic now behind us, it seems appropriate to address the issue more concretely. AVORA has been fortunate to avoid any positive tests so far (knock on wood) and we hope that it stays that way.

As a healthcare  service provider, we feel especially committed to avoid cross contamination. Many of our patients are vulnerable, especially our elder population. So, our precautions may seem overly rigorous to some, but it helps us sleep better at night knowing that we have been doing all that we can to help prevent the spread. All patients are required to wear masks and we take temperatures and ask them to wash their hands before and after leaving our clinics. We also screen for potential cases before allowing admittance into our facilities. Additionally, we have more stringent cleaning procedures and have closed our waiting rooms and ask patients to call us when they arrive so we can bring them in one at a time.

We may not know if we are being overly cautious, but we will know if we are not doing the best job we can. I hope everyone in need of our services can appreciate the situation we are in and so far, I'm pleased to say that our patients have not only been supportive of our measures, but also appreciative that we care enough to take things seriously. We wish you the best of staying healthy and look forward to assisting you any way we can. 

APTA Combined Sections Meeting (CMS)

2/13/2020

 
Picture
Dr. Kim Fox, DPT and Dr. Courtney Hall, PT, PhD behind their research presentation poster.

Picture
Dr. Courtney Hall, PT, PhD presented their research findings at the APTA CMS on February 13, 2020 in Denver, Colorado.

Presentation 1326
​

Abstract
The use of sensorimotor, multi-axis, rotational (SMART) training to treat Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

Purpose/Hypothesis: Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a rare condition in which those afflicted perceive a chronic rocking or swaying sensation, often relieved when in motion and symptomatic when still. Etiology is uncertain; therefore, treatment options are limited. While there is reported success with medication, optokinetic stimulation or transcutaneous magnetic stimulation, there is no single treatment that works for all patients. This retrospective chart review investigated rehabilitation outcomes following sensorimotor, multi-axis, rotational (SMART) training to address MdDS symptoms.

Number of Subjects: Forty-nine

Materials and Methods: Forty-nine patients participated in 10-20 sessions of SMART training, with integrated use of a visual targeting system and physical therapy. Between sessions, patients were instructed to perform mindfulness breathing, relaxation and grounding techniques. Pre- and post-training Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), 4-item Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), and computerized posturography including Sensory Organization Test (SOT) were assessed. Subjective change following rehabilitation was tracked at discharge, 5 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year post-training.

Results: Mean age (SD) of patients was 52.9 (12.6) years with the majority (n=47) being female. Mean time from onset of symptoms (SD) was 50.8 (87.8) months suggesting chronic symptoms. At discharge, 42 of 49 patients reported improvements, with nearly half (n=24, 48.9%) of all patients reporting marked or moderate improvement in symptoms; whereas, 14 (28.6%) reported minimal improvement in symptoms. Based on paired t-tests, all outcome measures – DHI, MdDS severity Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Motion VAS, 4-item DGI, and SOT - improved significantly (p < 0.001) from initial evaluation to discharge. Several personal factors were associated with rehabilitation outcomes based on bivariate correlations. With some variation, patients sustaining improvements at 1 week post-discharge, generally continued to sustain at 5 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year.

Conclusions: SMART training plus physical therapy resulted in improved performance outcomes and in significant reduction or resolution in MdDS symptoms. This study provides early evidence that this method of training has promising potential to aid in the management or recovery of MdDS.

Clinical Relevance: MdDS is disorder with no specific cure. Treatment is limited. SMART training may serve as an effective outcome to reduce or resolve symptoms associated with MdDS.

See  Research Gate Kim Fox and Courtney Hall publication of research for more details
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333669306_The_use_of_sensorimotor_multi-axis_rotational_SMART_training_to_treat_Mal_de_Debarquement_Syndrome_MdDS

International Congress on Motion Sickness

7/8/2019

 
Picture
  • The International Congress on Motion Sickness was held in Akureyri, Iceland July 8th – 10th 2019.

    Dr. Kim Fox, DPT presented on her recent research findings pertaining to the use of GyroStim in treating patients with Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS).

    It was also a great opportunity to learn more about new equipment hitting the market. AVORA is known for having an impressive collection of leading edge technologies used for providing the best diagnostic testing and treatment of vestibular disorders.



The Bear News

4/25/2019

 
Picture
Picture
The GyroStim room makes a great place to watch black bears, wild turkeys, and other wildlife. These photos were taken on April 25, 2019.

Update: Jackson Gannon Speaks First Words Since Accident

3/22/2019

 
Jackson Gannon's mom says he said his first 2 words since his accident which was 1-2 days following his last GyroStim training session at AVORA Health.
https://www.wbrc.com/video/2019/03/20/jackson-gannon-speaks-first-time-nearly-years/  He also, on his own free will, walked over to the sink and started washing dishes, with an awareness that they needed to be done and the desire to do something about it. We are so happy for Jackson and his family!

Note: The news report indicated that "(Dr. Fox) believed it could help Jackson learn to speak again." This was only a portion of Dr. Fox's statement during the interview regarding speech. It is important to know that while we have seen evidence of speech improvement with Jackson as well as other patients, we do not claim in any capacity to treat speech related issues.

Dr. Fox's official stance on GyroStim and speech improvement is "We have seen patient speech improvements through the use of GyroStim, but do not specifically treat speech and do not claim to be Speech Therapists. The results are anecdotal to the underlying conditions (such as concussions) that we treat as vestibular rehabilitation experts." 

The Jackson Gannon Story

3/4/2019

 
Jackson Gannon News Video - WBTV Charlotte, NC "On Your Side" with Jamie Boll
Follow this link for an exciting news story on Jackson Gannon and his recovery progress using GyroStim which aired on January 26, 2019.  http://www.wbtv.com/video/2019/01/26/jackson-gannon-recovering-more-than-year-after-head-on-car-collision/

AVORA Donates $500 to Eblen Charities

11/26/2018

 
Picture
AVORA Health is a proud supporter of the outstanding work being done by Bill Murdock and team at Eblen Charities. 

The partnerships created with Eblen Charities contribute to our community and social well being, by nurturing a culture the values working together.

On behalf of AVORA Health, a heartfelt thank you to everyone at Eblen Charities for all that you do!

<<Previous

    Author

    Dr. Kim Fox, DPT is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine at Baltimore and the University of Montana School of Physical Therapy.

    She has opened 4 successful physical therapy clinics since 2009 and is the founder and Clinical Director of AVORA.

    Kim spends most of her time at the AVORA Health Center, a multi-discipline balance & vestibular center specializing in common and uncommon vestibular conditions. The center has recently received international attention for it's good preliminary results in using a GyroStim to treat patients suffering from MdDS.

    Dr. Fox also travels nationally while teaching for Education Resources, a well respected professional seminar company, where she teaches other health care professionals about balance & vestibular disorders.

    Kim is on the editorial review board for the Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA) and a has recently begun sharing her professional knowledge and experience through social media. Welcome to her blog.

    Archives

    July 2022
    September 2021
    September 2020
    July 2020
    February 2020
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Home     Employment     Contact     
For Physicians     For Patients
Classes     Our Blog     Pay My Bill

​AVORA, LLC is a privately owned and operated healthcare company where the patient comes first. Copyright 2010-2022.