Bernard S. Brucker, Ph.D.,A.B.R.P.
Associate Professor
Director of the Biofeedback Laboratory
Functional Electric Stimulation Program
Department of Orthopaedics/Rehabilitation (D-27)
University of Miami / Jackson Medical Center
He started off with an explanation of what Biofeedback is, and this is
what caught my ear, and of course I interupted quite a few times to find out
about our basic Illness. First, in our cases. When Transverse Myelitis hits,
it's sometimes hard to diagnose because of it's similarities to MS. Ceratin
tests have to be run to rule out certain things, and more times than not, we
are misdiagnosed, but, when a diagnosis finally made, and TM is the culprit,
It comes, as we all know, does it's job and leaves. It is caused by an unknown
virus. It doesn't matter when you were diagnosed. It could be within hours or
days or weeks. There is no set treatment for it. The Solumedrol IV is a myth.
Steroids are for inflamation purposes for people like us, but, and I've said
this before, The inflamation is gone from one to two weeks, and we are left
with the residuals. Now, it is a Demyelinating problem, but the Demylination
can stop at any given time. It's different in all of us. It can cause a lesion
from one inch to the entire length of the Spinal Cord, and this is the
interesting part. The Myelin will REGENERATE itself, along with Nerve axons,
and the whole gammit. The research that's being done most is for a way to
speed up this process. I was under the impression that "Complete" meat that
the Spinal Cord was severed. Wrong, it means that there is complete
dysfunction from a certain point, decending. Incomplete means there is some
Motor Function from point of lesion or whatever, decending, along with some
sensory perception. He likened the Biofeedback process to this, it's like a
deaf person playing the piano. He can hit a key, but he does not hear the
sound it makes, therefore the brain cannot pick up the sound to complete the
cycle of feedback. When our Myelin regenerates itself, it's as if we are
reborn. A new baby will move certain parts of it's body, but because the brain
has not fully developed, it cannot do this on command until the brain has
reached the capacity to do so. We have to retrain our brains to do what came
normal before to do it all over again. Now, our brains have already been
programmed over the years to respond and react a certain way. Because this was
interrupted, it is reluctant to relearn what it already knows. Most
Neurologists are aware of this, and those that are will tell you so. The ones
that do know but care not to tell this will simply say, I don't know what's
wrong or we have to run a gammit of tests which are sometimes not called for,
here comes the money end of it. Being that the brain normally functions on
only 10% of it's capacity, new pathways can be developed, (Retraining the
Brain). He stipulated that when Atraphy sets in, the chances of recovery are
lengthend because the muscles are not responding. The reason the muscles are
not responding is because we have not RETRAINED OUR BRAINS. It may take a year
or even ten years for Remyelination, but it will happen, and during this time
you cannot wait for a miracle cure, there is none, that's why there's Therapy.
The Therapists that were in the room didn't like this part. Therapy consists
basically of persons who will heat you, freeze you, stretch you, all of which
may be beneficial, but they do not, REPEAT, Do not,Strengthen you. This is
primarily your responsibilty, and it can't be done until the Myelin has been
regenerated. That's the reasson some of us recover quicker than others. The
primary thing to do is to be as active and mobile as you can, not to let the
muscles atraphy by sitting and doing nothing, and to reagin as much strength
as possible. The kicker is, some Doctors will wait to be sure of their
diagnosis, and others wont, but there is no cause for Mal Practice, because
negligence cannot be proven. This man showed us photos, slides, and movies of
people he's treated, and one inparticular had a stroke at a year and a half,
and another one at three years. She was not brought to the Hospital for
tretament, because there was none until eight years later. She is now 11, and
has been idle that long. He has her eating and sitting up. She responds to
sounds, and can even speak a few words. She understands everytning that's
going on around her, but too much damage had been done by atraphy, and she'll
only recover to a point. The principal thing about Biofeedback is to enhance
what the eye sees, the ear hears, and so on by the sesnses, and sends that
signal back to the brain so a pattern can be made. He does this enhancement by
electrically stimulating the Motor function in the brain. For instance, if you
cannot move a leg, the electrodes are placed at strategic points on the leg,
electrically stimuated to make the leg mowhich sends the signal to the Brain.
The already trained brain recognizes this as a new movement, and will
eventually respond to it on command, hence, creating a new pathway. Training a
part of the brain that is not in use to take over for a part that has been
damaged, be it brain, or spinal, or pripheral. That's basically it in a
nutshell. I don't know of how many of these centers are available, but they
are springing up everywhere. A lady from New Castle Pa. which is right acroos
the border from me heard about this, called Dr. Brucker, and asked him to come
and help. They set up a center in New Castle, and I'm sure there will be
others, and I'm sure it's going to take a lot of money.
So, what I learned today is that the Doctors that treat us, are either
ignorant, don't care, or have not found out about this yet, and it has been in
existence for the last two years. Plus, all the drugs in the world aren't
going to help us recover. They may mask some pain and discomfort, but the way
to recover is to get moving. Use whatever tools you have and do the job. Man,
I hope I've been able to enlighten you all, and give you renewed hope and
strength to do what has to be done. God bless you all.
Gunny