Another reason to love New York City – New York Dynamic Neuromuscular Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy – that’s too much of a mouthful in this age of memes and sound bites, therefore, for expediency’s sake, I nicknamed this place, the space cadets’ hangout. Batman uses his cave and Superman, his phone booth to serve as cover and shelter when the caped crusader and the man of steel are preparing to deploy their powers. The space cadets’ refuge is located at 11 West 25th Street, in Manhattan, NYC. There, they perfect and release therapies that can activate the neuroplasticity of a stroke victim’s brain, as well as, improve a marathon runner’s stride. They can do both because some of the therapies available at the space cadets’ lair use cutting edge technology such as the C.A.R.E.N (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment) System and GAIT for motion and running analysis. I initially thought C.A.R.E.N was the name of a female therapist. However, in due course, I realized it was an acronym. At the space cadet’s hang out, C.A.R.E.N occupies a room of her own. In it there is an expansive console manned by Nikki, C.A.R.E.N’s engineer. He’s in charge of creating virtual reality environments that are projected onto the surrounding walls which create tasks that enable a person to strengthen those muscles necessary for better co-ordination and balance. As one improves, her tasks grow more difficult. Nikki consults with the therapists to select the computer generated environment that is appropriate for each person at her level of physical ability. For example, when I was introduced to C.A.R.E.N, my task was to stand on a movable platform and keep my weight evenly distributed on both sides of my body. The screen would post numbers that indicated how well I was accomplishing this goal. On the platform, one is strapped into a harness that resembles a harness parachuter’s wear. This mitigates one’s fear of falling. As I improved, I became more animated as did my computer generated environment. Later, my task was to use my feet and move a red ball from the center of the screen to hit a yellow smiley face wherever it appeared on a projected large circle and then to return the red ball to the center of the circle. This exercise is difficult for me because it entails moving my left foot and keeping my balance while doing so, but it is also a pleasure because back when those yellow smiley faces were first unleashed on the public with their seemingly innocuous but vacuous command, “to have a nice day”. I thought of them as a mind numbing logo created by Big Brother in one of his particularly nefarious moments.
Along with using C.A.R.E.N, I also workout on an adapted treadmill called the anti-G because it defies gravity. – Imagine a traffic cone – the kind road crews use to signal a detour. Now, turn the cone upside down. I put the upside down cone on like a pair of pants. Once in the cone, the top is zippered around my waist and attached to the treadmill. It is then inflated which elevates me off the ground and helps me maintain my balance. On the top of the treadmill is a screen that shows a road with a line down the middle. The images the screen records, enables the therapists to analyze my gait and figure out how to improve it. Then, they can provide verbal clues that will enable me to better train the muscles that are weak. Before the stroke all of this was done automatically, but since the stroke destroyed that part of my brain which was in charge of motor functions. I need to retrain other parts of my brain to consciously take over – that’s neuron plasticity. I work on my treadmill, amidst other clients doing what they would ordinarily do in a gym. In pedagogy that’s called mainstreaming – when handicapped kids take classes with kids that don’t have disabilities. The theory behind this practice is both the able bodied and the disabled have much to learn from one another about the human condition and human potential. When I watch the more able bodied folks go through their routines, I temporarily forget about being a stroke victim and am not ashamed if they witness my stumbles. When training among the able bodied, I feel I’m demonstrating my determination not to allow the stroke to swallow my life – not primarily to them, but primarily to myself. That makes me proud.
Impressive as the C.A.R.E.N and the anti G treadmill are, it wasn’t the technology that initially attracted me to this place or keeps me coming back. Although, not a Luddite, I am sceptical about technology’s overall impact on culture. For example, I wonder whether future generations, will lose capacity to appreciate a beautiful stamp, an elegant script, or finely textured stationery, owing to the efficiency and ease of e-mail. What attracted me to this place and keeps me returning was and remains the people who work here – the space cadets themselves. For all the high-tech equipment which is housed in their work environment, the space cadets have not forgotten those ancient modes of healing: patience, a calming voice, a supportive touch, a sense of humor, and the relentless search for the appropriate balance between challenging and acquiescing to a person’s present condition and future possibilities. In short, along with the 21st century technology and science, the space cadets still practice the time-tested art of healing.
Another noteworthy aspect of the space cadets, especially during this time of pernicious and insular politics, is they demonstrate what can happen when an organization brings the best people together regardless of the categories that are erected to separate them. To date, the practitioners I have worked with come from a variety of places: Russia, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, and the United States. What is noteworthy about this group of people is the high degree of camradarie and collaboration they exude. If one person does not know the best way to proceed with a client, he simply asks for advice or help. Significantly, his asking is not regarded as a sign of incompetence, but rather as a prudent way to problem solve. More of this spirit would make America great again.
Thanks to all for helping me rebuild my life and to move forward. Max McClintock
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