There was little doubt that Israeli neuro-rehab therapist Orit Elion would one day be involved in the field of physiotherapy.
After all, her mother was one of the first physio graduates at Wits University in South Africa.
Orit, who is currently in SA to assist with the final evaluation of two candidate Basic Bobath instructors, is facilitating a short course and Advanced Bobath training on behalf of Rehab Skills Lab while in the country.
Her international handball career gave her a bird’s-eye view of the role therapists can play in an athlete’s performance and overall wellbeing.
“Witnessing the direct impact they had on keeping us at our best truly inspired me to choose this path.”
Orit, who lives in the city of Jaffa on the Mediterranean coast, graduated from Tel Aviv University in 1986.
Since then her career and postgrad studies have taken her to the four corners of the world, including countries like Canada, Norway and the United States.
After successfully completing her Basic Bobath certification, she was asked by world-renowned instructor Elia Panturin whether she would be interested in giving the training gig a go.
As she had shortly before decided to take a step back from competitive sport, the timing was perfect.
Orit qualified as a Basic instructor in 1997 and, 21 years later, added her Advanced credentials.
Her parents emigrated to Israel after the Second World War and she made her first “appearance” – in Haifa – shortly thereafter on June 21, 1960.
She spent her childhood in the southern coastal city of Ashkelon before relocating to Tel Aviv after her tertiary studies.
Her interest in neuro-rehabilitation stems from the “major clinical challenge” it presents and the sense of fulfilment that comes from helping individuals like stroke patients regain some independence.
This involves them engaging in essential activities of daily living (ADLs), such as independent eating, drinking, dressing, gardening and participating in adaptive sports.
The field requires a vast, in-depth theoretical background and the highly- skilled application of that knowledge.
“Precise clinical reasoning and specialised hands-on skills” are everything, according to her.
During what is her fourth visit to the land of her parents’ birth, Orit is placing a lot of focus on upper-limb skill acquisition in walking and standing.
She chose the theme after consulting with her South African colleagues to ensure the course material addresses local clinical needs.
“In neuro-rehabilitation, upper-extremity recovery remains a profound challenge globally and there is an urgent need to implement strategies that may significantly improve patient outcomes,” she says.
The short course is designed to expand knowledge and elevate clinical practice while simultaneously serving as an introduction to foundational Bobath.
This is also why a background in this treatment concept is not a prerequisite for attending any of these courses.
Instead, the goal is to extend the educational opportunity to clinicians who may not have the capacity to commit to a full Basic course, which is intensive and time-consuming.
She hopes the workshop is an “eye-opening experience” that inspires participants to further pursue their professional development.
The Ibita-recognised instructor’s teaching approach is highly interactive as she balances theoretical knowledge with practice.
“I purposely cultivate an informal, engaging workshop environment where open discussion completely replaces a traditional lecture monologue,” she explains.
Among the many fascinating facts about Orit is that she spent seven years as a researcher and clinical supervisor at the Caren Virtual Reality Lab at the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv.
The Computer-Assisted Rehabilitation Environment system integrates a virtual reality environment with a dynamic platform, embedded force plates and motion-camera system.
This provides an optimal setting for investigating human performance, motor skill acquisition, postural control and stability.
“Ours was the first of its kind,” she says.
Her role was to design and set up virtual environments to help patients achieve specific functional goals.
“Planning and executing these advanced treatment sessions was fascinating. It demonstrated how technology can add a powerful dimension to conventional therapy.”
Apart from swimming in the sea and taking in dreamy sunsets when at home, Orit loves traveling to new places and immersing herself in different cultures.
It is no surprise, then, that she enjoys photography, reading and “simply taking the time to appreciate life”.