Pandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org (Pandora Nigh) (11/21/90)
Index Number: 11901 Hi Frank, finaly found one of the things on Petrofsky in my files. I unfourtunately do not have a seperate file for para-walking centers and have creatively filed the rest under something other than computer stuff. But here is what I have - Dr. Petrofsky has pioneered work that allowed people to exercise their paralyzed muscles and walk under computer control. He won the Inventor of the Year Award for the USA and was nominated for a Nobel prize for this research. He now has 2 rehabilitation and research centers; The Petrofsky center for Rehabilitation and Research 13756 Alton Parkway Suite E Irvine, California 92718 (714) 855-48837 and the Petrofsky-Allied Center for Neuromuscular Rehavilitation 475 Morgan Highway Box 1103 Scranton, PA 18501 (717) 348-1350 What the specialize in rehab and research is basic fitness utilizing FES exercise, biofeedback, airobic conditioning and electrical stimulation. The use a FES bicycle Ergometric Programs, Gait training program for people with low-level or incomplete paralysis that tries to get people walking without electrical stimulation. Biofeedback gait trainin which uses sophisticated EMG training. A Standing Program, a cardiovascular conditioning program, weightlifting and fitness. They are also working on Computer aided Ambulation, bladder biofeedback to regain some control of bladder function, computer aided hand control, FES for denervated muscle, recreational FES and what kind of worried me - Less Painful FES for those with sensation for whom FES is to painful that utilizes a new type of electrical stimulation with a more comfortable wave form. I think that I also read somewhere that basically the technichs work only on recently injured. It may not help someone after 9yrs, but she can contact them in PA and check on that. Hope this gives her some info and I figure PA is lot closer than Cal and might save a bit of money. I could not find anything on cost or coverage however and would tend to beleive that this is not covered by anything. Pandora -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!157!3!Pandora.Nigh Internet: Pandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org
Frank.Whitney@f1000.n261.z1.fidonet.org (Frank Whitney) (11/21/90)
Index Number: 11907 > I think that I also read somewhere that basically the technichs work >only on recently injured. It may not help someone after 9yrs, but she can >contact them in PA and check on that. Hope this gives her some info and I >figure PA is lot closer than Cal and might save a bit of money. I could not >find anything on cost or coverage however and would tend to beleive that >this is not covered by anything. > Pandora Thanks for the information. I've talked to her yesterday and found that she's got an uncle that lives within a 30 minute drive from the Walker Institute in California. The testing would last for two days and she would visit with him either before or after. Thank goodness she's just trying to find information on the subject and isn't looking for a miracle cure. Also she said that the treatment would be covered by her insurance so cost is less of a factor. She's said that if she were to go for the 9 month treatment that she and her husband and baby would go with her. I'll be training her on using the DragonDictate speech recognition system so we'll probably get to be pretty good friends. Thanks again part of her wanting treatment is to prevent muscle atrophy in her legs and to give her just a little more strength. She's approaching the whole thing with an open mind and just wants the facts even if their negative. Frank. -- Via Opus Msg Kit v1.11 -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!261!1000!Frank.Whitney Internet: Frank.Whitney@f1000.n261.z1.fidonet.org
Pandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org (Pandora Nigh) (11/28/90)
Index Number: 11996 Hi Frank, the impression that I get from all the material on these types of clinics is that basically what you can expect from them is just toning of muscles. I don't think and Petrofsy doesn't overly push in his hand outs the ability to make people walk again. But what bothers me about all of this is that I think you can work a program on your own or through your doctor with a PT at a much less cost and probably get the same results plus the added bonus that you don't have to move half way across the country. Pandora -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!157!3!Pandora.Nigh Internet: Pandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org