Denise Wind

On December 5th I fell and fractured by right elbow. The medical description is: Right elbow fracture dislocation with a displaced proximal ulnar shaft fracture and a displaced radial head fracture with a radial head dislocation. Surgery was scheduled on December 8th. A plate and 11 screws were put in to stabilize my arm. Once I was able to remove the cast my ROM was very limited. I couldn’t get my forearm muscles or biceps to relax for me to move the arm as needed. My PT team recommended I try the JAS device. 

 This JAS device allowed me to get the muscles to stretch. Initially the JAS was painful. I took pictures and contacted customer service, and they were very helpful. They made some modifications to create a new device for me. We were heading to Hawaii for a scheduled vacation, the JAS team shipped the new device to our hotel. It fit perfect and was very useful to stretch my arm.

 In June I had an additional surgery to do a Capsulectomy and remove the plate. The JAS was helpful once again since the ability to stretch was improved with the removal of the plate, but my muscles were restricting me to manually stretch. Unfortunately, in July my hand became numb. I needed to stop the JAS for a few months until we could understand the cause of the numbness. After an EMG, significant right ulnar nerve neuropathy with severe focal demyelination was discovered. Surgery was performed to reposition the nerve.

 My numbness has now improved, and I am using the JAS device regularly. The device has been the best way for me to stretch. With the healing, an unplanned bone growth is just below my elbow. It is hard for me to manually stretch; however, the JAS device design allows me to maximize the stretch with the extra bone growth not impacted in the design. 

 Thank you for all the support JAS has done. The doctor has requested that I continue using this device. The muscles stretch more quickly but my muscles want to tighten frequently, so this device keeps me challenging the extension and the flex of my arm.  I have a long way to go since I endured a bad break and have had three surgeries this past year. Having the JAS device is like having a personal trainer on call. We travel a lot, and it has been a constant item in my carryon luggage. Thank you.