STROKE

There is no one kind of stroke. The various causes of stroke can affect many different part of the brain, and therefore many different functions. The impact on daily living of the person directly affected, and family and friends can require many different changes in life style. FNS and sEMG treatments have helped many people to regain fuller participation in life. Please refer to the client stories section to learn about some of the successful treatments we have achieved.

Physiology Relating to sEMG

Muscles work in bilateral left and right pairs, meaning the electrical activity in both muscles of a pair should be equal. Damage to the muscular, skeletal, or nervous system can alter the electrical activity of a muscle causing what is known as "muscle imbalance". The more muscle imbalances that occur, the greater the overall dysfunction of the physical body.

Often after stroke, neural pathways have to rebuild in order for an individual to regain voluntary muscle control. Individuals cannot physically detect the movement so the biofeedback information is vital to the rehabilitation. Visual and auditory signals provide feedback to cue the individual into moving the targeted muscle in the desired way enabling the individual to improve motor control.

Another way that sEMG helps stroke victims is to cue them in to isolating which muscle to use when two opposing muscles are working against each other. For example one muscle has to relax and lengthen while the opposing muscle shortens and fires. Biofeedback can help the individual “see” whether or not they are moving or relaxing the desired muscle before they can actually sense the movements themselves. According to Bernard Brucker, a pioneer in the field of sEMG, notes neural repair was once thought to be automatic, “it is becoming clear that to maximize this neural potential, specific learning techniques at the neuronal level are necessary. Advanced biofeedback is the technique best suited for maximizing this potential”. (Biofeedback: Brucker Method, http://www.sci-therapies.info/biofeedback.htm).