Forte opens stroke injury and wellness rehab Centre in Barbados

He is young, enthusiastic and is seeing clients whose conditions are being reversed with nutrition, a change in lifestyle with a combination of physiotherapy and exercise therapy. Pedro Forte just recently officially launched the opening of his wellness and rehabilitation centre in Barbados.
He is already seeing success after a year in operation with his official opening attended by a few friends and colleagues in an intimate cocktail setting.
At an impromptu visit to his offices, Caribbean Medical News was met by Forte and a patient on whom he was working. The elderly gentleman had suffered two strokes and was having difficulty with gait, speech and diet.
“Essentially, he had lost a great deal of mobility on his left side, is hypertensive and has difficulty with coordination and gait. What I do first is to establish trust and let my clients (who come in all ages) to be more confident in knowing that they can make progress”, he said. His patient was walking slowly and confidently on a treadmill assisted by Forte’s assistant.

Elite qualified therapist

An Elite Trainer, a position that is reserved for only the best, Forte is qualified by the world-renown International Sports Sciences Association of California with offices in Dubai, Canada and the USA. His certificates grace the walls of his office. He is a certified fitness trainer, a specialist in exercise therapy and a specialist in fitness nutrition, something that his clients are pleased about since they have a “one-stop shop”, said his patient.
“My practice is not limited to stroke, however. I see anyone with any illness, all NCDs and I do have a few patients with cancer and traumatic brain injury or acquired brain injury. The latter have to relearn almost everything. I am also alarmed by the increase in auto-immune disorders; we also have three strokes every two days, we have 11 heart attacks per month and I attribute this to lifestyle and diet mainly. Some people do have inherent and genetic issues that predispose them to stroke and diabetes as well as heart disease but I preach prevention through lifestyle changes including exercise and diet. Where an event has happened I use modalities exercise therapy to get the patients in a position to be able to carry out their activities of daily living”, he said.
He points out that he works closely with doctors and all patients must sign a PAR-Q form clearing them for his therapies.

Heart & Stroke Foundation volunteer

“Since I can help adults and children who suffer from a broad spectrum of illnesses I do get referrals from medical doctors and many walk in patients”, he said.
Forte is also a volunteer at the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados.
“Giving back is important. I was trained by my grandmother who raised me to give back to my community and so I go twice a week to assist anyone who needs help at the Heart & Stroke Foundation”, he continued.
Nutrition also plays a huge part in Forte’s practice.
According to Forte, diabetics and stroke and heart attack “victims” do not only need therapy but to completely change their diets in order to ensure that they do not fall prey again.
“I have seen people with diabetes eating sweet bread and drinking coke. This can’t work. So what I do is craft a specialized diet that may address a sweet tooth in a different way. We get creative. It is important that everyone get a nutrient dense meal with lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts, seeds and grains and protein. I sit down with the client and craft these diets according to their needs. There is no one-size fits all approach”, Forte added.
Forte also attends medical continuing professional education seminars. Also a qualified fitness trainer Forte is getting ready for the influx of people interested in getting fit for Crop Over.
“I would much prefer that people see exercise as a way of life rather than a camp for a carnival”, he said.
Forte also works with people who suffer from auto-immune illnesses saying that some of his clients have gone into remission with significant lowering of antibodies for the diseases by use of diet alone.
“Asthma and other auto-immune illnesses are on the rise globally. I think that the health of the gut is critical and I usually recommend that my patients change their diet radically, especially those with celiac disease. I have many patients with food intolerances and by a sometimes painstaking effort of elimination of foods and reintroduction, we are able to find the culprits. I insist that all patients stick to the protocol that their doctors’ ordered but we have seen incredible results”, said Forte.
Forte’s practice opens six days a week and he does emergency home visits.
“I am not against the medical profession. We work very well together but Hippocrates also said let food be thy medicine. I am using all the specializations that I have to help my patients with the assistance of our local doctors who have been very amazed by the results of our patients”, he ended.
Forte can be reached at 246-823-8718/571-4533 or pedrojaforte@live.com

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