Diana Shafer: Motivating Others Through Martial Arts

When I first learned about Diana Shafer, a 30-year-old woman from San Jose, California, I was immediately impressed.  Besides her awesome Martial Arts photos, one of the things I found really interesting was that she first discovered BPI in college.  When she was born, her mother didn’t speak English very well, due to the fact that she had emigrated from Vietnam. Diana's research on Erb's Palsy began when she was preparing for an oral presentation. She chose for the topic to be about herself so she could discuss her injury openly for the first time.

This says a lot about Diana's self-confidence. It’s not easy to talk about something, in front of your peers, that has been a lifelong struggle.  But Diana did that and succeeded.

Since then she has gotten involved in Martial Arts and has created an Instagram account and YouTube channel.  Her motivation is to help others who deal with similar struggles and inspire them to soar beyond their dreams. 

In addition to these great accomplishments, Diana is getting married this month and is a stepmother to two children.

You can find Diana on Instagram @onearmjiujitsu, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or add her on Facebook to follow her journey.

Q & A

Hi Diana!  Thanks so much for sharing your story with me.  Can you tell me when your Erb’s Palsy symptoms began and how your arm is affected?

I have had a Brachial Plexus Injury to my right arm since birth. I was injured by the doctor during delivery. My right arm has limited movement due to severed nerves. My right arm is slightly shorter and smaller than my left. I cannot raise my arm at the shoulder, but I do have the ability to raise my arm at the elbow to 90 degrees.  I do not have a strong grip in my right hand and I have minimal feeling in my hand as well. I have waiter’s tip, which is a deformity of the affected wrist. I also have Horner’s syndrome, which affects my right eye, in which it droops slightly.

Wall Ball Shots for the Win

            One of my favorite CrossFit exercises is the Wall Ball Shot.  It may be the least favorite for some because it’s a brutal movement that uses your whole body but I love it. 

Reasons why I think Wall Ball Shots are AWESOME and you should start doing them now:

1. You need to use the force of your legs, hips and butt to move the ball above your head.
2. Therefore, you can lift weight over your head without having to lift both of your arms fully.
3. Since you need to use your entire body to do the movement, you’re building up many different muscles.
4. They’re great for cardio.
5. They can give you the skills you need for daily living.

How could throwing a ball in the air help me with daily living skills?

Have you ever struggled to put something overhead because your arm just couldn’t reach? This happens to me frequently.  Sometimes no one is around to help me and, to be honest, I like to be as independent as possible and not have to depend on others to lift things for me.  If it’s something that’s light enough and not breakable, sometimes I throw it up as if I’m doing a Wall Ball Shot! It works!

But how can I do this crazy movement?

            Choose a medicine ball of any weight. I would start out light.  Stand in squat stance, facing a wall, and resting the medicine ball on your chest.  Go into a full squat while keeping your chest high and shoulders back and then thrust up while throwing the ball up with your arms to hit the wall at about eight or ten feet high (or as high as you can).  CrossFit gyms have lines on the walls as a target for where to hit the wall.  It’s okay if both arms don’t reach all the way up.  Mine don’t! The trickiest part is keeping control of the ball and trying to catch it on the way down as you go back into another squat.  This just takes practice!

HAPPY WALL BALL-ING!!

Steps You Should Take If Your Infant Has Been Diagnosed with Erb's Palsy

First of all, congratulations on the birth of your new baby! This is such an exciting time for you and I wish you and your child all the happiness in the world.

     I’m sure that an Erb’s Palsy diagnosis can be nerve-racking. I was diagnosed with this injury at birth and I can only imagine how my parents felt.  Most people have never heard of this condition and aren’t sure where to begin to help their newborn.  However, I promise that after reading this blog post, you will feel more confident about how to get the help your baby needs.  Thankfully, my parents were very proactive about getting services for me. I wouldn’t have made the progress I have today without their support from the day I was born and their continued support since then.  Your child will feel this way one day too.

     Below is a list of things you must do as soon as possible.  The sooner the services are received, the more likely that there will be less permanent nerve damage.  I have compiled this list with my mom, who became an Erb’s Palsy expert, as you will too.

1.             Speak to the pediatrician at the hospital. Talk about what immediate actions should be taken.  Ask which doctors your child needs to see.  Each case can be different.  Discuss what you can do with your child at home.  For example, my parents were told to do range of motion movements with me each time I had my diaper changed.

2.             Make an appointment with a neurologist.  This doctor can evaluate the baby’s injury and recommend what services would benefit him or her.  When I was an infant, the neurologist had recommended that I wear a neoprene splint intermittently throughout the day.

3.             Investigate early intervention services. Your child should be given an evaluation and, based on the results, you will be told what services he or she is entitled to.  This is a government-funded program.  The services may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and/or intervention from a special education teacher.  I started receiving occupational therapy at ten days old, three times a week, 45 minutes each session. I began physical therapy within a few months.  I received these services up until three years old, when I aged out.  Then my mom contacted our school district for an evaluation to determine which services should be offered through the school. I had occupational therapy in school until eighth grade.

4.             Contact an attorney.  Most, if not all, Erb’s Palsy cases are caused by malpractice and the costs of treatment can be very expensive.  Consult a lawyer about how to open a case.

5.             Keep notes and receipts organized.  Jot down information about your baby’s evaluations and recommendations made by professionals.  These notes and medical receipts can be used for tax return purposes and also for legal proceedings.  Keep track of gas mileage to and from doctors, cost of medical visits and treatments, etc.

6.             Most importantly, treat your baby like you would treat any other child.  He or she should feel special and praised for all of his or her accomplishments. Don’t forget to give just as much attention to your other children.

Do you have any other recommendations from your own experiences? 

Comment below to share!

AntiGravity Yoga

               If you're looking to do yoga, but just can't figure out how to do the poses with your affected arm, then maybe AntiGravityYoga is right for you!

I had previously tried Traditional Yoga and Bikram, or Hot, Yoga.  However, I found that weight-bearing on my left arm was nearly impossible and leaning just on my right arm was uncomfortable and felt uneven on my body. My neurologist had recommended Hot Yoga because the warmth allows your muscles to loosen up a bit more, but the heat was too intense for me. However, that's not to say that these classes are not good for people with Erb's palsy. There's no harm in trying! 

On a whim, I tried AntiGravity Yoga and loved it! The first class I attended was called AntiGravity Deep Release at EmergeYoga & Wellness in Bellmore, New York. In this class, the hammocks hang at about six to eight inches from the ground, which is lower than the hammocks in the typical AntiGravity classes. It involves a lot of comfortable stretches, meditation and relaxation. This is still my favorite class and is perfect to do at least once a week to stretch and take some time to relax.

I believe this form of exercise is PERFECT for people living with Erb's Palsy! “AntiGravity Yoga was developed by Christopher Harrison, a former aerial acrobat and gymnast who found traditional yoga too hard on his injured wrists. The weightless poses can be used to strengthen the core as well as relieve aching joints and stretch tight muscles.” What an awesome solution for us as well!

I recommend always speaking with the instructor before class and trying to explain your injury. He or she may be aware of modifications that you may not have known about beforehand.  Good Luck and Happy Flying!

Have you tried AntiGravity Yoga before? What did you think about it? 

Please comment below!

Sources and Additional Information: 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/gym-class-antigravity-yoga/?_r=0

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/yoga/the-benefits-of-antigravity-yoga

Thrusters

           Overhead lifts have been difficult for me ever since starting CrossFit.  Some people have asked how I do CrossFit if I can’t do overhead lifts, but the great thing is that everything can be modified!! Since my left arm can’t actively move above my head, my coaches and I have had to think of some creative exercises to substitute for the usual ones.    Here is a video about thrusters by a coach at Paradiso CrossFit, which describes the movements and little modifications you can do if you can raise your arms overhead.  This is the typical movement.

            However, if you have trouble lifting your arm overhead, like me, I’ve taken some videos of some alternative Thruster options! I don't stick to any one exercise in particular. I like all of them so I think it's good to change it up whenever a Thruster is in a workout!

Option #1: Use a weighted disc and hold it in front of your chest.  Do a squat and use the force of your legs and hips to lift the disc as high as you can.  (Don’t mind my crazy coach Gines in the background of the video.  We have a lot of fun while working out :D)

Option #2: Use two dumbbells and lift them so they’re resting against your shoulders.  Then do a squat (like in Option #1) and lift your good arm all the way and lift your other arm as far as it can go or keep it against your chest (also known as "rack position").

Option #3: Use one dumbbell and hold it in front of your chest with both hands.  Squat and push it as high as it can go comfortably.

If you know of any other modifications for Thrusters or have any questions or comments about these modifications, please comment below! Thanks for reading!

Thanks to the coaches at CrossFit Singular Box for your advice and to my videographer Loni Slatkin!

Birth Injury Prevention

We know that the majority of Erb’s Palsy cases can be prevented.  Therefore, it’s important to educate ourselves about risk factors and to know what to do if these risk factors apply to your pregnancy.  There is no reason to be nervous if you keep these things in mind.

Risk Factors

• Birth weight of infant is over 8.5 lbs.
• Mother has diabetes
• Breech delivery
• Previous child delivered with shoulder dystocia¹
• Small mother
• Long labor
• Precipitous labor (i.e. labor that is faster than normal)
• Fetal malposition in birth canal
• Labor is induced or sped up by medicine
• Use of forceps or vacuum extraction tools during delivery*** (This is super important.  These tools can be very harmful to a baby.)

Prevention

• Doctor should never pull on or twist the baby’s head.
• Have a cesarean section for babies who are too large to fit through the birth canal.  In rare cases BPI can happen during C-sections but it is much less likely.
• Do not deliver the baby on your back. This is the worst position to be in.  Learn about different, more beneficial positions.
• Have a calm birthing environment, so the delivery is not rushed. Your obstetrician or midwife should seem like they can handle a stressful situation like this with ease.

shoulder dystocia¹: when a shoulder gets stuck in the birth canal

For more information about Erb’s Palsy causes and preventions, please watch the video below.  It includes interviews with highly educated professionals in the field who give great insight on this topic.

Do you know of any other risk factors or ways to prevent Erb’s Palsy at birth? I'd love to hear other people’s insights! Please comment below.

Sources:

http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/cerebral-palsy/types/erbs-palsy.html

http://www.birthinjuryguide.org/erbs-palsy/

http://www.erbpalsy.org/prevention.html