“Offering Hope for Improvement”
For: post-polio syndrome, fibromyalgia, spine injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, and other neurological diseases, conditions and injuries.
Futures Unlimited, Inc., 8084 Highway 50 East, Columbus, Mississippi 39702, U.S.A. ph: (662) 327-7333 – ask to speak to Mr. Ed Snapp, RPT
FAX (662) 329-4271
Northwest Futures Unlimited is located in Spokane, WA. See below or phone Dr. Karen Stanek at (509) 624-0908.
E-mail contact for informational literature or for answers to your questions: Ed Snapp, P.T. futures@tilc.com – and tell them we sent you. 🙂
For more information and for conditions other than post-polio syndrome go to the authorized Futures Unlimited, Inc. Website.
Articles by Mr. Edward Snapp, R.P.T., the Director of FUI:
Northwest Futures Unlimited – Spokane, WA
Questions and Answers
Testimonials:
NORTHWEST FUTURES UNLIMITED
NW Futures Unlimited has been treating clients at their clinic on 1315 N. Division since January, 2002. People from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Missouri, Massachusetts, and South Dakota and more have taken advantage of the cutting-edge treatment available in Spokane. Some of the illnesses, injuries, and conditions of the central nervous system that are being successfully treated are post-polio syndrome, multiple sclerosis, head and spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, stroke, and developmental disorders. About 50% of the clients treated thus far have post-polio syndrome. James Snapp, the Administrator of the clinic, says approximately 90% of the clients have seen measurable improvement in their condition.
The clinic provides two two-week sessions of treatment per month. The methods used are applications of hydrotherapy, massage, sensory stimulation, and exercises. The sequences, methods, organization, and integration of applications are critical to success. The treatment was developed by Ed Snapp, P.T., of Futures Unlimited, Inc., in Columbus, Mississippi. The staff at NW Futures is headed by James Snapp, Administrator and Jennifer Bach, P.T. Jessica Hall is the Director of Chronologically Controlled Developmental Education. All the members of the staff work together to provide comprehensive treatment for the clients.
All major credit cards are accepted for payment. Most major insurance companies are paying a large percentage of treatment costs. Medicare has recently approved the treatment for their clients. A Care Credit Payment Plan is also in place for your convenience. If you would like more information about payment and billing, contact Fran at 326-7577. Let her know if you need to see Dr. Karen Stanek, Physiatrist, for a referral for treatment.
You may acquire more information at the official Futures Unlimited website, futuresunlimited.com.* Feel free to contact James Snapp. If you have questions concerning treatment, he will answer them for you.
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Some Questions and Answers
… by Elinor Young, a PPS patient
I underwent treatment at Futures Unlimited, Inc. in October 1996, and am still doing great in 2004! Before I even left there, people wrote me via e-mail asking about it. They wanted to know what is done, how much it cost, how much it helped and other such questions. Do you have some of those questions, too? Then this might help:
Q. Who is Ed Snapp? How Did He Come Up With This Program?
A. Ed Snapp is a physical therapist. He contracted polio at the age of 18, and still has some pretty severe residual affects. He began his practice as a PT in 1947, working first on original polio patients. He has never retired. “Mr. Ed” (as he is called in the clinic) is about 70 years of age now. He married a woman who also had polio. It was when she began to develop PPS that Ed, getting the standard, “There is nothing we can do but slow down your decline” answer from doctors, began doing his own thinking based on his personal and practical knowledge of polio, the body and further study of the central nervous system. What resulted, after many years, is the program he uses at his clinic.
Q. What is done to you at the clinic?
A. Basically, the “what” consists of medically coded physical therapy techniques, done with unusual intensity, duration and sequence. The therapy lasts for 14 straight days, 6 to 8 hours a day. The four PT procedures are all passive. That is, they do it to you; you do not do any direct exercise.
The PT techniques used are: 1. Straight-line, deep-stroke massage. Done with very specific order. 2. Patterning of limb movements. Again, very specific sequence. 3. Hydro-therapy, which is being submerged, prone and supported, in approximately body-temperature water while your body relaxes and reacts to the stimulation of the massage, of waves, etc. 4. Complete rest in an environment of controlled sensory-deprivation.
It sounds like anyone could duplicate the procedures, but they can’t without training at Futures. Especially the massage and patterning require a very strict order and sequence.
Each PT procedure is done twice; once in the morning and once in the afternoon, with small differences. During the rest time, unless you had a spinal fusion (as I did), you are curled up in a cut-in-half innertube that is hung from the ceiling and rests on a bean bag. You are more or less in a fetal position, and they play fetal sounds. It is unusual, but very relaxing. I curled up on a water-bed for that part.
All procedures are done under very dim blue or green lights – just enough for the aids to see what they are doing, and there is no talking. They don’t want your central nervous system to be distracted, or to receive any stimulation except what they are giving it. The whole thing is designed to get the attention of your nervous system, and to provide the environment and stimulation it needs to correct itself. Mr. Snapp compares it to rebooting a computer.
Q. What Are the Risks?
A. None of the techniques used can hurt you. They are all designed to be very specific stimuli that trigger your central nervous system to remember how it was developed in the first place and then use that memory to correct what it can of areas that have gotten “messed up” since polio and PPS. There is an 85% success rate with PPS.
Q. Is it a Cure for PPS?
A. NO! It is NO CURE. As Mr. Ed says about the motor neurons that polio killed, “you can kiss them goodbye.” “All” he does (and it’s a BIG “all”) is help the nerves and muscles that are still intact to communicate up to their optimum potential. I still have PPS – Ed cautions about abusing my body and crashing again, but I am much better.
Q. Does Everyone Experience the Same Results?
A. No. Nearly every one (85%) has positive results. Some moderate, some profound and some in between.
Q. What Results Did You Gain?
A. I guess my results would be in the “profound” category. Before I went to Futures, I was very weak. I needed to use a BiPAP ventilator 15 hours out of 24. Arms, legs and energy were so weak that I hadn’t driven a car for five years. There was no way I could. I was dependent on a scooter for mobility. I could walk only about 30 feet before fatigue stopped me. My brain was chronically fogged with that awful mental fatigue we PPSers are so familiar with.
Now I am on my feet again, using crutches, and can walk for blocks. With my pulmunologist’s blessing, my BiPAP was been returned to the medical equipment supplier right after treatment at Futures, and I haven’t needed it again since. I can drive again, comfortably, even taking several day road trips. Best of all, my brain is clear. No more fighting that mental fog to think and converse.
Q. Would I Be A Good Candidate for Improvement?
A. The best thing to do is ask for a packet of literature, then after you get and read it, call Ed Snapp or James Snapp and talk to him about your case. Or, to save time, just call one of them before you get a packet. They are VERY open to talk to anybody, and very honest if they thinks the treatment can’t help.
Q. What Does the Treatment Cost?
A. The cost is under $500/day, but ask for the current charge. If you have had any PT lately, you know this is quite reasonable, considering the number of hours involved. FUI will bill your insurance, but you do need to pay half the cost up-front. If you have private insurance, the chances are good they will pre-approve it. If an HMO, not likely. FUI will reimburse you the half you paid if/when insurance comes through. But speaking personally, there is no way I could put a monetary value on what the treatment did for me.
If you want insurance to pay, you need an Rx from a doctor, with a letter of justification. Call one of the clinics and ask for literature. One of the papers is a sample Rx that your doctor can more or less copy.
Q. Where Can I Find Accommodations?
A. Again, ask the clinics. They have lists of local hotels who give good deals.
Q. What About Those People Who Say It’s Too Good To Be True, So Can’t Be?
A. I am not the only person who has maintained long-term improvement. The program can’t hurt you, and you have an 85% chance of being helped. What are your chances for improvement without it?
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What “Futures” Did For Me
By Sharman Collins — November, 1996
Futures Unlimited, Inc., in Columbus, Mississippi provides out-patient physical therapy and rehabilitation primarily for clients suffering from post-polio syndrome, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, head trauma, and developmental disorders. In the field of rehabilitation, the clinic’s efforts are primarily directed by Ed Snapp, P.T. Mr. Snapp is a polio survivor. My therapy started on August 11, and finished on August 25, 1996 The results of the treatment are truly remarkable…very little short of miraculous!
In the last five and one-half years, my physical condition deteriorated rapidly. I had no physical limitations six years ago. As of August 1996, I was spending 12 hours a day on a Bi-pap, wearing a rigid full-torso back brace, using my scooter to go from one side of a room to another, and unable to cook, clean, or use my muscles in any sustained way at all.
When I left Futures after my treatment, I was astounded by how good I felt. I went to the clinic expecting no improvement. Over the years, I have tried many different types of treatment. None of them gave me any significant relief. But I was determined to keep on looking–not only for me–but for all of us. Post-polio syndrome is the great robber of vitality and ability. If there was a viable treatment option out there, God-willing, I would find it.
I have gained measurable strength each week since I have been home. My scooter is parked in the garage to use to take the dogs out for a long walk up and down the back of my hill. My back brace and Bi-pap are in the closet, unused since the end of August. In the last month, I have been able to shop—on foot—for hours. My kitchen is once again MY OWN. I have made pies, cookies, muffins, and dinners for my family, all in the last several weeks. I am knitting again and able to sew a bit, too. My body temperature is back to normal–no more freezing legs.
My body is still weak, but I am able to exercise hard in the pool now. And I am gaining strength. Everyone asks me, “Will this last? How much stronger will you get in the future?” I am leaving that up to the Lord. I will do my part, and He will take care of the rest, in whatever way He desires. May He do what He will with this new-found physical strength. It is in His hands, as is everything else in my life.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about the clinic, contact Ed Snapp at 1-601-327-7333.
____________________
NOTE: Sharman continues to have a full, active life in 2004, eight years after original treatment.
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“Not Short of Amazing“
By Elinor Young
You don’t have to take my word for it. Take my doctor’s; the words of my pulmonologist as written on his report sent to my G.P. “Not short of amazing” he said. Written down. Right there on the report.
What was he talking about?…..
A couple weeks after my friend, Sharman, came back from the Futures Unlimited clinic in Mississippi, and showed such marvelous improvement, I called my sister, Marg, and told her where Sharman had gone and the wonderful results she was enjoying.
Marg agreed that it was wonderful indeed, then asked, “Well, are you planning to go?”
“Yes, but – ,” I began.
“We’ll take you.”
And so there were no more “buts.” In a few short weeks I was on my way to Mississippi, comfortably ensconced in Marg & Lloyd’s “fifth-wheel” RV. We left Spokane on October 4 and arrived back November 7.
Mr. Ed Snapp has developed a program that provides the environment and stimulation that the central nervous system needs to correct itself . Nothing can be done about the nerves the polio killed, but something can be done about the nerves and muscles we still have, but which have lost their ability to communicate with each other.
I didn’t go to “Futures” expecting great things. I couldn’t predict what would happen. I just knew that as surely as the Lord had put the trip to “Futures” together as I could never have done, I knew the results were also in his hands, and they would be right. Right for me and for what I try to do for all of you. But would the results be physical improvement? Maybe not. Statistics were on my side, but as Ed Snapp himself told me, “There are no guarantees.” So far, 85% of the clinic’s post-polio patients have had some improvement — lasting improvement, I might add. That’s good odds, but still no sure thing. Not all as exceptional as Sharman’s, either.
So, I am more surprised than anybody at the extent of what I gained. But what a nice surprise! I’m not cured; I still have PPS. But I sure am a whole lot better! This is how I usually respond to friends who ask me what the changes have been. I now have new:
- INDEPENDENCE. After five years of arms and legs too weak to drive, I am now driving myself everywhere I want to go – – even in this snow!
- FREEDOM. I no longer need the BiPAP respirator I was using 15 hours out of 24. It was like an umbilical cord, pulling me back home by noon, and not letting me go anywhere until after 4:00 p.m. I can now join friends for lunch, or a show – or go myself!
- CHOICES. With my new greater strength and energy, my choices of how to use my “good time” boggles imagination. Before, active mind-&-body time was so narrow, my choices of how to use it, beyond the basics, were very few. Now, I can shop, cook, wash dishes, play a game, write a friend a hand-written letter, concentrate on a good book, play tug-of-war with my dog and all sorts of things.
Yes, it’s true. The improvement is not short of amazing.
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Testimonial regarding therapy applied by Ed Snapp of Futures Unlimited Inc.
by Richard de la Rue
My decision to travel some 4,500 miles to attend the clinic in Columbus, Mississippi, without knowing at that time that I had the benefit of medical insurance, was largely based on the recommendation of Elinor Young from Washington state for whom the two-week course had radically improved her lifestyle. I was also influenced by my UK-trained physiotherapist who spoke directly with Ed Snapp and concurred that there seemed to be nothing else available that compared with the kind of success rate enjoyed by patients of the clinic. A negative but important factor was the assurance that patients appeared to suffer no harm as a result of the course. The course of therapy requires no medication, electro-therapy, adoption of any credo – simply the passive participation of the patient.
At age 55 I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome in 1996 but was unable to ascertain how serious my condition might become until access to the Internet gave me greater insight into my condition as well as information about Futures Unlimited. As a 9 year old child polio affected me from the waist down but I very largely recovered the use of my left leg leaving my right leg completely paralyzed and walked only with the aid of a full length caliper and walking stick. PPS did not hit me badly but I could no longer walk up steps without the effort coming mainly from my arms. Sleep was disturbed and energy levels were pretty low.
After the first day’s therapy at Futures which took about 7 hours I noticed an immediate improvement. Whilst laying face downwards I could now bend my ‘good’ leg at the knee and keep my foot in the air. This was something I had been unable to do for 2/3 years and an exercise I had specifically tried and failed just one month before attending the clinic. Climbing steps is now easier than it was though not back to ‘full strength’. I am also again able to enjoy walks of 2 or 3 miles although I still have to ration my day’s energy carefully. I sleep better and feel fitter and even younger. The psychological benefit that stems from knowing that PPS has not only been arrested but actually improved permeates one’s whole thinking and attitude.
I do not wish to gloss over difficulties I had with claustrophobia, from which I suffer, during some aspects of therapy. These were unpleasant but quickly recognized by Ed Snapp who gave me alternative therapy to circumvent my problem. In the event I was able to go back into the full program of therapy by retaining full control of the environment.
Ed Snapp, having worked with polio all his long life, has applied himself to devising therapies for this condition based upon his observation and analysis of the way in which the body moves. His motivation will undoubtedly have been helped by the fact that he had polio as a teenager. In my opinion, his approach, based on conventional therapies, is highly original, inspirational and evidently successful.
I consider my long journey to Mississippi to have been worthwhile and I do not hesitate to recommend to anyone suffering from Post-Polio Syndrome that they should seriously consider a course of therapy at Futures Unlimited Inc. I have been given a home program of therapy which helps me maintain my improved condition and is administered to me on my home island of Guernsey (a British island within sight of France). I do not anticipate it will be necessary for me to return to Mississippi for further treatment.
Richard de la Rue
19 October 97
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VIEW FROM THE TANK OR FUTURES UNLIMITED, INC., TAKE FOUR
by Sharman Collins
October, 1998
As I write this, I am sitting in a trailer in Columbus, MS. Today was day 8 in a 10-day treatment program at Futures Unlimited. My goal for my fourth treatment here is increased endurance, strength and relief from tight muscles. And, Ed and I have been discussing my plans to downhill snow ski this winter! Pretty remarkable for someone who, a mere two years ago, spent 12 hours a day on a Bi-pap, wore a full-torso back brace, and used my scooter to ride from one side of the room to another. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the treatment offered at Futures Unlimited, Inc., let me give you a few pertinent details. “Futures” provides out-patient therapy and rehabilitation primarily for clients with post-polio syndrome, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, head trauma and developmental disorders. The clinic is directed by Ed Snapp, P.T. He is presently training Bob Wessel, P.T., and Jackie Hutchison, P.T., with the goal of opening additional treatment centers in the future.
The standard treatment program lasts fourteen consecutive days. There are six sessions of physical therapy per day. The modalities used are the most basic in physical therapy. They are heat, hydrotherapy, massage, passive exercise (patterning), light and deep sensory stimulation, positioning and other relaxation/stimulation techniques. Treatment is done under very dim blue and green lights. Talking is not allowed and the clients are encouraged to relax completely. Posture and gait training and mild exercise, when applicable, augment the treatment program and are demonstrated after clinic hours. What sets this treatment apart from others is the inclusion within the modalities of over a hundred specifically sequenced movements and numerous and various stimuli which evolved from research of human development. The movements and chronological sequencing are the result of over 36 years of study by Ed Snapp in the area of childbirth, embryology and developmental theory, plus trial-and-error experimental therapy with central nervous system disorders, namely, cerebral palsy, brain and/or spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions.
I arrived at the clinic the morning of October 12, and after a consultation with Ed, while Bob and Jackie observed, I was ready to start treatment. It was great to see Willie, Barbara, and Linda again. And there were a few new aides I hadn’t met before. The staff is truly unique at Futures–warm and caring. Willie did “pressures” on me and then a session of table work. Every time I have been to Futures, I start out the first week very stiff and sore. My tight muscles relaxed about day seven. After table work, I was positioned in the inner tube, listening to a recording of sounds in the womb. Then, a break for lunch. Several other patients with post-polio syndrome were undergoing treatment. Lorna Johannes from Gibson, Iowa, was there for her first treatment. Karen Treberg from Kalamazoo, Michigan and Dottie Lofquist from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, were receiving their fourth treatment session. Joe Mayer, from Sawyer, Michigan, had the distinction of being one of the first PPS clients treated by Ed, the first time in 1991. During the ten days I was there, two young men were treated for spinal cord injury and head injury. I enjoyed meeting all of them and hearing about their different backgrounds and progress in recovery. We had to be reminded several times to be quiet during lunch.
After lunch, we started in again with table work. Ed had changed some of the treatments this session–changes he feels will be more effective. There was more emphasis on upper body therapy. Pressures were done twice a day. After table work, it was off to the inner tube. I was comfortable in the inner tube from about the third day on. Before that, my body was tight and didn’t feel like twisting into a fetal position. When I have been to Futures before, the “tank” has been my least favorite therapy. The incessant quiet and stillness plus the irritation of the water is difficult for me to tolerate. And, the “view” of the white ceiling through the clear plastic cover with the condensation dripping down your nose is not the least bit entertaining. All one can see are shadowy figures occasionally moving around the room. But this session, Ed had the oxygen tank connected so the air was delightful–and the added bubbles felt great popping around my neck and shoulders. I was much more relaxed and my body reacted in very positive ways.
I felt a positive change in my energy from about the fifth day on. Wow! We’ll see how it translates to function once I get home. Also, my right leg and right shoulder feel more stable. At my final consultation with Ed, I promised, to be ever-vigilant about my posture. He gave me a new home program which includes exercises to prepare my muscles for snow skiing! How exciting!
How fortunate I am to be able to continue this therapy on an ongoing basis. I will return yearly in hopes of gaining more strength and function. Hopefully, in a few years, the therapy will be available in a few more locations.
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Futures Unlimited Opens A Clinic in Spokane
By Alex Looms (March, 2002)
It would be hard to find a member of our Polio Outreach of Spokane support group that had not heard of Futures Unlimited. Many of our members have traveled to Columbus, Mississippi to undergo the treatment developed by Ed Snapp.
Although different from others, Ed uses treatment protocols that are common in conventional physical therapy. What makes his unique is the manner and sequence that they are applied.
I suffer from most of the classic PPS symptoms. Still I have been able to do most things that I needed to, as long as I was careful not to overdo.
Several years ago my local HMO they would not approve my physician’s request to send me to Futures. Their reply was, This clinic is out of our area. They are not an approved provider. My appealing their decision was flatly turned down. Our financial situation at the time made paying for it myself impossible. I relegated myself to the situation by saying, “Well, I’m still in pretty good shape. They probably couldn’t do much for me anyway.”
A few years passed. My physical situation deteriorated very slowly. I was still able to do a lot but the pain had increased, and the period of rest between tasks went from minutes and hours, to hours and days. The chronic pain made me pretty crabby, driving became a painful ordeal. I wasn’t the cheerful Alex that my friends and family had come to expect. Something had to be done!
It is interesting that often when we have a need, God provides. What we all need to do is be open when such an opportunity reveals itself. My opportunity came when Futures made the decision to open a facility in Spokane, WA. Gone was the need to spend a couple of thousand dollars for travel and the expenses needed to stay in Columbus. They say “Necessity is the Mother of invention.” As I mentioned earlier, I was having difficulty driving. I had just spent a year and a half restoring a rare and fairly valuable 1958 Volvo station wagon. I had made several fun trips with it, but being practical, I decided to sell it while it was still in pristine condition. I ended up with two collectors fighting over it and sold it for a substantial sum. It 
was enough money to pay off several nagging bills and also to go to Futures.
I had the good fortune to be one of the first five people to be treated at the new NW Futures. As with any new business there were a few loose ends. Washington’s regulations were different from Mississippi’s and the building needed some modifications. Ed’s son, Jamie Snapp, who runs the Spokane facility, quickly resolved the problems.
I was surprised at the young age of the staff. I have children their ages. But it became immediately apparent that they were dedicated and professional.
The treatment takes twelve consecutive days. They own you from 8 am until almost 5 pm every day. It is passive therapy. You just need to relax. The most difficult thing for me was to turn my brain off.
I had opted to stay in a local motel rather than drive an hour each way from my home. I had no preconceived notions of what to expect from the treatment. Still, I was skeptical that they could do much with me. I had only hoped to relieve some of my pain.
It’s been two months since my treatment and I want to be realistic about my improvement. After all, twelve days of massage, hot tubs and rest, who wouldn’t feel better?
So what can I say for sure? I feel great.
People who know me say, “Wow, you look great!” The debilitating pain is gone. Yes, I still have pain but it is no longer constant. I have been able to reduce some of my medication. My spirits are better and so is my sleeping. My family has noticed changes that I was unaware of. My shaky hands, my facial expression, lots of little things. One highly unexpected result amazes me even now.
When I was 13 I started having a great deal of pain in my left foot. The bones had collapsed. I had a flat left arch and a normal right arch. Doctors, after trying several unsuccessful treatments said , “You’ll just have to live with it.” As a result my left side was 1/2″ shorter than the right. On the morning of the fifth day of treatment I was brushing my teeth, looking into the motel mirror and noticed my shoulders were level. I finished getting dressed and noticed not only my shoulders were level but my belt was too. Intrigued I looked at my feet. My left ankle bone was almost even with my right, my left foot had corrected itself!
Summing up…, was it worth it? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely. Should everyone expect great gains? No, but I expect that everyone could benefit from going. Would I go back? You bet.
There is no doubt in my mind that going to the new NW Futures in Spokane has changed the quality of my life.
Alex Looms
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