Dammit Jim I'm a Doctor

Four or five years ago I created a PowerPoint slide for a series of talks that my colleague and noted stroke recovery researcher Stephen J. Page do. It was sort of a joke slide; above is a copy of it. The idea was that at some point in the distant future Dr. "Bones" McCoy would have a machine that you simply point at a stroke survivors brain that makes the boo boo go bye-bye. Of course it was a joke ha ha.

A few months ago we got a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) machine that has a special aiming feature on it. You play it like a video game. First MRI data is fed into the TMS machine. This allows for whoever is doing the treatment to see the person's brain as they "zap" it with electromagnetism. The treatments are being done by a couple of our lab's physical therapists. When the stroke survivors brain is "zapped" the the muscle that corresponds to that part of the brain, the part of the brain they are targeting, twitches.

The B1XGX: Stroke Eliminator. Not such a joke anymore.

The Secret to Recovery. Period.

I think I've found the answer to recovery from stroke. Honestly. Call the Nobel committee. The answer may be in the first Q&A in an article I wrote with the help of John Farrell of Saebo. And realize, you don't need any equipment to do this, Saebo or otherwise. If you have any questions, email me 'cause it gets a bit complicated. Intuitive, but complicated.

Survivor Must Haves

There are two publications, both free, that provide information that may be essential to recovery. If you are really on the ball regarding emerging recovery technologies, then these may be a bit low-level. But even if you do a good job of figuring out what's new in the stroke recovery game, these two magazines will still be helpful.

Stroke Smart and Stroke Connection. Great articles (usually of the feel-good variety), research updates (in easily read format) and advertisements. And its the ads that I read it for because some of the technologies that our lab tests, as well as others form smaller manufacturers are in these mags. Basically, SS and SC are quick and easy ways to keep on top of whats goin' down. Order them on line or call them.

Stroke Smart 800-787-6537
Stroke Connection 1-888-478-7653