Two black belt martial artists, one a well known chiropractor in sports kinesiology, the other, an Emmy Award-winning TV host and writer, teamed up to fight the effects of a stroke through martial arts.
On Aug. 8, 2022, a stroke left TV host Terry Wilson partially paralyzed and unable to speak, much less practice the karate skills he had spent decades honing. “I decided to treat the stroke like it was a test, and I had to earn my black belt again, one challenge at a time. To do that, I needed Dr. Garrett’s help,” Wilson said.
Dr. Brian Garrett has been practicing chiropractory in Downtown for almost 30 years. His office is currently located at 1901 First Ave., which is where Wilson headed after being discharged from the hospital.
“I was shocked when Terry came to the office,” said Dr. Garrett. “He still had the martial spirit, but you could see the effects of the stroke, especially in his voice and face.”
Wilson suffered an infarct to a cerebral blood vessel, which stopped proper blood supply to parts of his brain, according to Dr. Garrett. Blood flow was limited to the areas of the brain controlling speech and balance, which resulted in diminished use of his ands and fingers.
“The fingers on my right hand were bent and partially fused muscularly together,” recalled Wilson. There were 19 muscles per hand that weren’t talking to each other. Dr. Garrett had to get the brain to recognize this disconnect before the fingers could work independently.
The brain’s plasticity allows it to reconnect and integrate circuits that have been damaged or injured. One way to do that is through physical activity that stimulates the brain to reconnect with nerves and muscles.
“In the beginning, we worked on fixing nerves that were weak because of the brain,” Dr. Garrett explained. “Later, we worked on fixing muscles that weren’t firing in order for the brain to hear what it needed to hear and thus do what it needed to do.”
Outside Dr. Garrett’s office, Wilson leaned on his martial arts experience to push his body to its limits. He twirled a karate weapon known as a Tonfa. This activity forced his previously stiff fingers to move independently and, in the process, begin a new conversation with his brain.
“After each session, I would take whatever part of my body Dr. Garrett had worked on and, using my various martial arts drills, would push it as far as I could,” said Wilson.
Wilson is a determined patient, intent on coming back from the life-altering stroke. In the office, Dr. Garrett would locate areas that required work to integrate. Outside the office, Wilson pioneered ways to get his brain’s attention.
“By doing katas or punching a tree, Terry is stimulating his sensory motor cortex by bombarding the brain with messages, thus giving the brain necessary energy to repair itself,” said Dr. Garrett. “I don’t think most people would do what Terry has done to get back.”
When Wilson was discharged from the hospital, he was told he would use a walker for the next six months at least. “Terry also attacked that challenge like the warrior he is,” Dr. Garrett said.
From the walker, Wilson did various karate stances to strengthen his legs and practice breathing drills. “I eventually taught myself to walk, but a great deal of my body, including my speech and face, was still partially paralyzed,” Wilson said.
Wilson and Dr. Garrett still work together. Their next goal is to get Wilson’s voice back.
“Dr. Garrett is like a Ninja with all kinds of tricks up his sleeve,” Wilson said. “I’m hoping one of those tricks will give me my voice back.”
By Terry Wilson
