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<td valign="bottom"><h1><a name="Top">Biofeedback Info</a></h1>
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<td><h3><strong>The Theory</strong></h3>
<p>The following is a quote from an AAPB White Paper
titled "Applications of Biofeedback to
Rehabilitation of Physical Disabilities" by Dr
Bernard Brucker.</p>
<p>"Through the use of visual or auditory feedback
that instantaneously reflects the electrical activity of
targeted muscles, patients can be trained to inhibit
unwanted spastic motor activity and facilitate improved
strength, range of motion, and control of paretic muscle.
</p>
<p>"With the advances in technology it is possible
to accurately measure the electrical activity of muscle
(EMG) and rapidly process these electrical signals for
display on the computer monitor. This display shows the
patient slight changes in neuromuscular activity which
would normally go unnoticed by the patient or therapist. </p>
<p>"Operant Conditioning techniques can then be
utilised to have the patient learn greater control over
the EMG signals to the muscle than would otherwise be
possible. In this way biofeedback can restore functional
control over paretic muscles which might not be achieved
by other therapeutic modalities alone.</p>
<p>"Biofeedback has been shown to be a valuable
technique in rehabilitation resulting in greater
increases in function and quality of life for people with
physical disabilities."</p>
<p>Many white papers, reprints from journals published in
the medical press, press cuttings, etc are supplied in
the comprehensive information pack available free from
the Biofeedback Laboratory at the University of Miami. </p>
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<td><h3><strong>How The Treatment Is Applied (and How It
Works in my words)</strong></h3>
<p>The tiny electrical control signals to the muscles
being worked on are picked up by sensors stuck onto the
client's skin. These signals are amplified and input into
a customised PC for analysis, recording, and display on a
large monitor in front of the client. </p>
<p>The client is given a task, which may for example
consist of contracting some muscles, and relaxing the
opposing muscles. The client can immediately see how well
he is doing by observing the trace displayed in real-time
on the large monitor. </p>
<p>By being able to see so quickly and clearly how
successful he is being, the client can learn new ways of
controlling his body. In this process the client is
actually learning to bypass the damaged areas in the
brain, and train alternate cells to make new pathways to
the spinal cord. </p>
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<td align="center" valign="top" width="200" bgcolor="#000000"><h1><font color="#FF0000">���</font></h1>
<h1><font color="#FF0000">+</font></h1>
<h1><font color="#FF0000">$$$</font></h1>
<h1><font color="#FF0000">+</font></h1>
<h1><font color="#FF0000">���</font></h1>
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<td><h3><strong>What It Costs</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Biofeedback</strong>, per 45 minutes session -
$175. Only one session is allowed per day. Payment is
made at the end of the stay, and can be charged to a
Credit Card. (Compare that to a UK institution!)</p>
<p><strong>Accommodation</strong> in 1 bedroom large
apartment in Jackson Towers, an apartment block (flats)
within 100m of the enormous hospital complex. $1000 per
month. (Minimum tenancy period is one month.) A
returnable deposit of $200 has to be sent upon booking
the apartment. </p>
<p><strong>Spending Money </strong>$500 minimum - for
father and child living frugally (no hire car) for three
weeks.</p>
<p><strong>Car Hire </strong>at least $60 per day. Note
that prices are always quoted excluding tax and
insurance, but adding these essentials doubles the cost.
For example I phoned about 10 companies and the best
price I got was $29 per day, but the total cost for a two
day hire was over $120.</p>
<p><strong>Television</strong>. Jackson Towers provide
sparse furnishing but no bedding or TV. The first trip I
bought a second-hand 14" TV from a classified ad,
and sold it again at the end, for a loss of around $25.
The second trip I hired a new 20" TV for $50 for two
weeks.</p>
<p><strong>Phone</strong>. There is wiring into the
apartment but one has to pay Bell South to connect the
phone ($50), plus a monthly rental of about $20. In the
States you contract a long-distance carrier separately. I
got a very good deal from AT&T - only 12 cents per
minute for calls to England. You need to pay a deposit
(in cash). I paid in Estrella Pharmacy, about 2 blocks
away. YOU MUST TAKE YOUR PASSPORT FOR ID. After paying
the deposit you must phone Bell South to get them to
connect the line. You also need to supply your own phone!
I bought one from a Tandy store the first time, and
brought it back for our second visit. Despite the
complexity of the above it doesn't take too long - on the
second trip l was connected within 36 hours of arriving.</p>
<p><strong>Internet</strong>. If you take a notebook PC
an internet connection is very useful - allowing me to
carry on working while in the US. I found both BridgeNet
and Florida Internet good, with a monthly cost of $20,
and no initial startup fee. Both times I had the
connection up within an hour of phoning the ISP.</p>
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<td><h3><strong>How To Book</strong></h3>
<p>Everything can be arranged over the phone - the lab's
booking administrator Mayra is very helpful. As of April
1997 they do not have an internet email address. The
address and phone number is:</p>
<p>The Biofeedback Laboratory, Dept of Orthopaedics and
Rehabilitation (D-27), University of Miami School of
Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA. Telephone:(305)
585-6351. </p>
<p>The free Information Pack lists many hotels and
apartment blocks, but if you are going specifically for
treatment (rather than as a family holiday) then I would
recommend Jackson Towers, as it is on the metro line, and
just 5 minutes walk from the Rehab Building. The address
and phone number is:</p>
<p>Jackson Medical Towers, 1500 NW 12th Avenue, Miami
Florida 33136, USA. Telephone: (305) 585-2221.</p>
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<td><h3><strong>Where to Go</strong></h3>
<p>We didn't do much, as I parked Max in front of the TV
most of the time, but most of what we did do we enjoyed:</p>
<p><strong>Miami Sea Aquarium</strong> - about $20 per
person</p>
<p><strong>Science Museum & Planetarium</strong> -
about $15 for one adult and one child.</p>
<p><strong>Beach</strong> - don't go to the main beaches,
they are very fashionable, expensive, and with big surf
and a steep incline not good for a disabled child. We
found the beach on the causeway on the way to the Sea
Aquarium sheltered and much better.</p>
<p><strong>Kennedy Space Centre</strong> - it is a long 4
hour car drive from Miami, but is definitely worth it. We
drove there, did it, and drove back in one day, but in
retrospect it would have been better to have spent the
night there, and seen more of the exhibits.</p>
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<td><h3><strong>How To Get There, What To Speak</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Flying</strong>. If flying from Europe use a
British or European carrier, as in my experience American
carriers do not offer as high a standard of service.
British Airways are superb with disabled children, but a
little more expensive than Virgin Atlantic, who offer
good, but not outstanding service. </p>
<p>On the first trip we flew Birmingham to New York, then
New York to Miami, but this was a mistake. One has to
allow at least 2 hours to change planes, but the flight
to Miami was delayed three hours and the service from
American Airlines was appalling. We arrived very late,
angry, and exhausted.</p>
<p><strong>Language</strong> - <strong>Spanish</strong>.
In excess of 90% of the people one meets in shops,
restaurants, and walking around (rather than in cars) are
of Latin origin, and <strong>many</strong> people do not
speak American at all. And nobody speaks <em>English</em>.
Having a working knowledge of Spanish helps very much,
and using it earns brownie points with the locals, which
in turn may increase your life expectancy. Actually the
Latin population responded very warmly to Max, and
usually showed more empathy and understanding than the
whites.</p>
<p>Initially when speaking English it is often best to
immediately introduce yourself as British, say that you
can't understand what they are saying, and proceed one
phrase at a time. Interestingly I have observed that even
Americans speaking American (English) to each other often
can't make themselves easily understood.</p>
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<h5>Last revised: <!--webbot bot="TimeStamp" s-type="EDITED" s-format="%d-%b-%Y %H:%M:%S" startspan -->17-Apr-1997 15:33:10<!--webbot bot="TimeStamp" endspan i-checksum="29565" --></h5>
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