Raised-Bed Gardening

Raised-Bed Gardening From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Raised garden bed of lettuce, tomatoes, basil,
marigolds, zinnias, garlic chives, zucchini.

Raised-bed gardening is a form of gardening in which the soil is formed in 3 – 4 foot (1.0–1.2 m) wide beds, which can be of any length or shape. The soil is raised above the surrounding soil (approximately 6 inches to waist-high), is sometimes enclosed by a frame generally made of wood, rock, or concrete blocks, and may be enriched with compost. The vegetable plants are spaced in geometric patterns, much closer together than conventional row gardening. The spacing is such that when the vegetables are fully grown, their leaves just barely touch each other, creating a microclimate in which weed growth is suppressed and moisture is conserved. Raised beds produce a variety of benefits: they extend the planting season, they can reduce weeds if designed and planted properly and reduce the need to use poor native soil. Since the gardener does not walk on the raised beds, the soil is not compacted and the roots have an easier time growing. The close plant spacing and the use of compost generally result in higher yields with raised beds in comparison to conventional row gardening. Waist-high raised beds enable the elderly and handicapped to grow vegetables without having to bend-over to tend them.

Overview

Picardo Farm, Wedgwood neighborhood, Seattle, Washington:
A community allotment garden with raised beds for the handicapped

Raised beds lend themselves to the development of complex agriculture systems that utilize many of the principles and methods of permaculture. They can be used effectively to control erosion and recycle and conserve water and nutrients by building them along contour lines on slopes. This also makes more space available for intensive crop production. They can be created over large areas with the use of several commonly available tractor-drawn implements and efficiently maintained, planted and harvested using hand tools.

This form of gardening is compatible with square foot gardening and companion planting.

Circular waist high raised beds with a path to the center (a slice of the circle cut out) are called keyhole gardens. Often the center has a chimney of sorts built with sticks and then lined with feedbags or grasses that allows water placed at the center to flow out into the soil and reach the plants' roots. The charity Send a Cow is promoting the creation of these in Africa.

Materials and Construction

Vegetable garden bed construction materials should be chosen carefully. Some concerns exist regarding the use of pressure-treated timber. Treated pine that was traditionally treated using chromated copper arsenate or CCA, a toxic chemical mix for preserving timber that may leach chemicals into the soil which in turn can be drawn up into the plants, a concern for vegetable growers, where part or all of the plant is eaten. If using timber to raise the garden bed, ensure that it is an untreated hardwood to prevent the risk of chemicals leaching into the soil. A common approach is to use timber sleepers joined with steel rods to hold them together. Another approach is to use concrete blocks, although less aesthetically pleasing, they are inexpensive to source and easy to use. On the market are also prefab raised garden bed solutions which are made from long lasting polyethylene that is UV stabilized and food grade so it will not leach undesirable chemicals into the soil or deteriorate in the elements. A double skinned wall provides an air pocket of insulation that minimizes the temperature fluctuations and drying out of the soil in the garden bed. Sometimes raised bed gardens are covered with clear plastic to protect the crops from wind and strong rains. Pre-manufactured raised bed gardening boxes also exist.

See also:

• Kitchen garden
• Therapeutic garden
• Waru Waru – A traditional Quechua, pre-Inca system involving raised beds

References:

• Nones, Raymond (2010). Raised-Bed Vegetable Gardening Made Simple. Countryman Press. Retrieved March 2, 2012. ISBN 978-0-88150-896-3
• Millarville Horticultural Club (1982). Gardening under the arch: homespun hints and money saving tips from the rigorous high country of Alberta's chinook zone. The Club. pp. 291–292. Retrieved March 2, 2012. ISBN 0-88925-406-0
• Whiting, David E. (1991). The desert shall blossom: a comprehensive guide to vegetable gardening in the Mountain West. Horizon. pp. 41–42. Retrieved March 2, 2012. ISBN 0-88290-418-3
• Kemery, Ricky (January 29, 2012). "Unlock your creativity with keyhole garden". The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN). Retrieved March 6, 2012.
• Lively, Ruth. "Does Pressure-Treated Wood Belong in Your Garden?". Fine Gardening Magazine. Retrieved March 6, 2012.

See the full article Raised-Bed Gardening From Wikipedia, 

          the free encyclopedia

Square Foot Gardening From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

An example of an indoor square foot style garden.

Square foot gardening is the practice of planning and creating small but intensively planted gardens. The practice combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including a strong focus on compost, densely planted raised beds and biointensive attention to a small, clearly defined area. Proponents claim that the method is particularly well-suited for areas with poor soil, beginner gardeners or as adaptive recreation for those with disabilities. The phrase "square foot gardening" was popularized by Mel Bartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book and subsequent PBS television series.

Overview

Conventional gardening can require heavy tools to loosen the soil, whereas in square foot gardening methods the soil is typically not walked on and thus not compacted, and it remains loose and more easily workable. Weeds may be easier to remove due to the light soil, and accessing them can be easier as raised beds bring the soil level closer to the gardener.

Using specific soil mixtures within the beds can help to increase water-holding capacities, so that the garden needs less additional water than in systems reliant on the native soil. Water is also spared by hand-watering directly at the plant roots, so that there is very little waste and tender young plants and seedlings are preserved.

Densely planted crops can form a living mulch, and also prevent weeds from establishing or even germinating.

Natural insect repellent methods such as companion planting (i.e. planting marigolds or other naturally pest-repelling plants) become more efficient in a close space, which may reduce the need to use pesticides. The large variety of crops in a small space also prevents plant diseases from spreading easily.

A plywood bottom can be attached to the bottom of a box, which can then be placed on a tabletop or raised platform for those who wish to garden without bending or squatting, or to make gardening easily accessible for wheelchair, cane or walker users.

Since the beds are typically small, making covers or cages to protect plants from pests, cold, or sun is more practical than with larger gardens.

Mel Bartholomew's Synopsis

A basic, 4x4, 16-unit 

"square-foot garden."

The phrase "square foot gardening" was popularized by Mel Bartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book and subsequent PBS television series. A full-length companion DVD, "Square Foot Gardening" (2010), was released in collaboration with Patti Moreno, the "garden girl".

The original square-foot-gardening method (per Bartholomew) uses a four-sided box with no top or bottom to contain a finite amount of soil, which was divided with a grid into sections. To encourage variety of different crops over time, each square would be planted with a different kind of plant, the number of plants per square depending on an individual plant's size. A single tomato plant might take a full square, as might herbs such as oregano, basil or mint, while most strawberry plants could be planted four per square, with up to sixteen radishes per square. Tall or climbing plants such as maize or pole beans might be planted in a northern row (south in the southern hemisphere) so as not to shade other plants, and supported with lattice or netting.

A book about square foot gardening, published

by Mel Bartholomew in February 2006.

The logic behind using smaller beds is that they are easily adapted, and the gardener can easily reach the entire area, without stepping on and compacting the soil. In the second edition, Bartholomew suggests using a "weed barrier" beneath the box, and filling it completely with "Mel's mix," a combination by volume of one third of decayed sphagnum peat moss, one-third expanded vermiculite and one-third blended compost. New compost should be added and mixed in each year. For accessibility, raised boxes may have bottoms to sit like tables at a convenient height, with approximately 6" (15 cm) of manufactured soil per square foot. For some plants, such as carrots or asparagus, it is recommended to build areas deeper than 6" in order to facilitate a deeper root requirement.

In Bartholomew's method, the garden space is divided into beds that are easily accessed from every side. A 4' x 4', 16 sq ft (1.5 m2) or 120 cm x 120 cm, 1.4 m2 garden is recommended for the first garden, and a path wide enough to comfortably work from should be made on each side of the bed, if possible, or if the bed must be accessed by reaching across it, a narrower one should be used so that no discomfort results from tending the garden. Each of the beds is divided into approximately one square foot units and marked out with sticks, twine, or sturdy slats to ensure that the square foot units remain visible as the garden matures.

Different seeds are planted in each square, to ensure a rational amount of each type of crop is grown, and to conserve seeds instead of overplanting, crowding and thinning plants. Common spacing is one plant per square for larger plants (broccoli, basil, etc.), four plants per square for medium large plants like lettuce, nine plants per square for medium-small plants like spinach, and sixteen per square for small plants such as onions and carrots. Plants that normally take up yards of space as runners, such as squash or cucumbers, are grown vertically on sturdy frames that are hung with netting or string to support the developing crops. Ones that grow deep underground, such as potatoes or carrots, are grown in a square foot section that has foot tall sides and a planting surface above the ground, so that a foot or more of framed soil depth is provided above the garden surface rather than below it.

The beds are weeded and watered from the pathways, so the garden soil is never stepped on or compacted. Because a new soil mixture is used to create the garden, and a few handfuls of compost are added with each harvest to maintain soil fertility over time, the state of the site's underlying soil is irrelevant. This gardening method has been employed successfully in every region, including in deserts, on high arid mountain plateaus, in cramped urban locations, and in areas with polluted or high salinity soils. It is equally useful for growing flowers, vegetables, herbs and some fruits in containers, raised beds, on tabletops or at ground level, in only 4 to 6 inches (150 mm) of soil. A few seeds per square foot, the ability to make compost, to water by hand, and to set up the initial garden in a sunny position or where a container, table or platform garden may be moved on wheels to receive light is all that is needed to set up a square foot garden.

See the full article 

      Square Foot Gardening From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Raised Garden Beds

Uploaded on Feb 26, 2011

Show how individuals in wheelchairs can garden successfully.


Standard YouTube License @ Handihelp

Wheelchair Accessible Raised Plant Beds Barrier Free

Published on Jun 30, 2012

How to make a wheelchair accessible, barrier free, raised plant bed. These three were made in the Village of Mill Creek in Kelowna, B. C. in June 2012.

SSTattler: At about 2:30 minutes have nice instructions it will show to make a raised bed instead of buying!


Standard YouTube License @ Graham Chambers

Gardening in a Waist High Raised Bed Garden: 

        Preparation for Spring Planting

Uploaded on Mar 15, 2011

http://garden-rack.com -- Get your GardenRack beds ready for spring planting.


Standard YouTube License @ The GardenRack Channel

Gardening in a Waist High Raised Bed Garden

Uploaded on Mar 24, 2009

http://www.garden-rack.com Tired of bending and kneeling to garden? Find out more about GardenRack, the waist high raised bed gardening system. You can garden again!


Standard YouTube License @ The GardenRack Channel

5 on the Farm: CHEAP Raised Bed Garden

Uploaded on May 19, 2011

How to make raised beds out of free wood pallets. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you aren't using a perforated liner, or something that allows water to drain, you'll need to, carefully, put holes in your plastic after stapling it to your pallets. Like our 5 on the Farm series? Subscribe to this station!


Standard YouTube License @ lkbolin's channel

Raised Bed Garden Part 1 of 2

Uploaded on Jul 6, 2009

This video shows how to construct raised garden beds using various materials and especially for people with limited mobility plus points on plants to grow and compost.


Standard YouTube License @ University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

Raised Bed Garden Part 2 of 2

Uploaded on Jul 6, 2009

This video shows how to construct raised garden beds using various materials and especially for people with limited mobility plus points on plants to grow and compost.


Standard YouTube License @ University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

Accessible Raised Bed Garden for Stroke Survivors to Grow Food

Published on Jan 31, 2013

John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ goes on a field trip to the redwoods retirement center to share with you their garden to show how they have designed their garden to be accessible for wheelchairs and some of the design elements they have used to make gardening easier for active adults who live in this community. After watching this episode you will have a better idea of some ideas you can use to design a accessible garden for physically challenged or active adults.


Standard YouTube License @ Learn Organic Gardening at Growing Your Greens

Newest Raised Bed Almost Completed - Putting on the Top Trim

Uploaded on Feb 16, 2010

John of http://www.growingyourgreens.com shows putting the trim on the newly built raised beds. He also shows how he will deter slugs and snails from coming in the raised beds. Also a mid-Feb update on how things are growing in his front yard.


Standard YouTube License @ Learn Organic Gardening at Growing Your Greens

Accessible Living: A Raised Garden

Uploaded on Oct 8, 2007

MobilityRules.com "Accessible Living" Series excerpt. Arwen Bird shows us her special raised garden, allowing her to garden from her wheelchair.


Standard YouTube License @ Mobility Rules

Superior Wooden Raised Beds.

Uploaded on May 18, 2011

The Superior Wooden Raised Bed Kits are very much the flagship of our extensive wooden raised bed gardening range, and provide a very sturdy, long-lasting and extremely attractive raised bed area for the discerning vegetable gardener.

Available in 4 heights - from 20cm/8" to an almost Atlantis-type 81cm deep - and 10 sizes, there should be a Superior Wooden Raised Bed which perfectly meets your needs- and if space is an issue, we've a Corner Wooden Raised Bed version available.

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/superior-wooden-raised-bed-kits-pid7995.html


Standard YouTube License @ HarrodHorticultural

Harrod Wooden Raised Bed Tables

Published on Jan 20, 2013

We've raised our much sought-after wooden raised bed range up a level - quite literally! - with the introduction of our back-saving Wooden Raised Bed Tables.

The slatted base is covered with a stiff recyclable plastic cover, and we also supply a thick non-woven polypropylene fabric liner for water retention, containing fine compost particles and further protection of the raised bed table timber.

All the FSC accredited planed timber used in the manufacture of the Standard Wooden Raised Bed Tables is high pressure treated with a safe preserve and the beds carry a 5 year structural guarantee for complete peace of mind

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/standard-wooden-raised-bed-tables-pid8093.html

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/superior-wooden-raised-bed-tables-pid8308.html


Standard YouTube License @ HarrodHorticultural

Adaptive Gardening

Published on Sep 26, 2012

You can still garden even with limitations. we have a few tools and tricks to let you enjoying gardening even if you have challenges.


Standard YouTube License @ Garden Time

Raised Beds

Uploaded on Apr 30, 2009

If you are looking for some raised beds for gardening here are a couple of kits we found to help you.


Standard YouTube License @ Garden Time

Square Foot Gardening

Published on Jan 8, 2013

~ Introduction Video.


Standard YouTube License @ The Colours of Scifi

Saturday Comics

For Better and For Worse
Lynn Johnston - 2008-01-21

"I can also sit up, beg, ..., "

Dilbert
Scott Adams - 2013-04-12

"I'm not allowed to use my fist of death ... !"

Garfield
Jim Davis -2013-04-12

"Liz and I are leaving, Garfield."

Betty
Delainey & Rasmussen - 2013/04/12

"Let me check my To-Do App to see..."

       
*For Better and For Worse" is a serious topic of stroke but with a very nice cartoons. It is all about Grandpa Jim had a stroke and 88 further cartoon "strips" that happened to Grandpa Jim. (See as well  the author Lynn Johnston).

** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.

*** Changed from "Pickles" to "Betty" -- "Betty" is a excellent cartoon and Gary Delainey & Gerry Rasmussen are authors/artists/cartoon-strips and they live in Edmonton.

Eclectic Stuff & Articles

Definition: Eclectic(noun) a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

Sunday Stroke Survival ~ Adaptive Gardening

Jo Murphey
The Murphey Saga

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Here is the southern US of A the weather grows warmer. Actually it's barely gotten below freezing a couple times this winter. We're in the tan-orangy colored section. I've missed my garden since my stroke. Being a prepper and survivalist since birth, it seems an insult to injury not having fresh produce outside my back door. But this year by gosh and begorrah, I've started gardening again.

I've had higher grocery bills and allergy attacks galore since I lost my garden last year with my stroke. What I've paid out in doctors, medicines, ointments, shots, inhalers, and oatmeal and baking soda since I had my stroke in allergy relief made me have to try.  For our financial health if not for our physical well being.

Before, I religiously practiced the three-sister method of gardening (an old American Indian method)- corn went in first, pole beans or peas climbed up the stalks with squash planted underneath. No need for nets or back breaking weeding. Three crops in one two-square foot of space. It saves time, saves space, and saves in labor since each crop will pull different nutrients from the soil to grow. In between each planting grew marigolds as a pest deterrent and it looked pretty. You see I organic garden. No pesticides other than organic or homemade and no commercial fertilizers even if they say they're organic. I also plant heirloom or certified organic seed. No GMO nothing for my family.

When I wanted to break new ground for a garden bed, I would buy bag of potting soil. I use Jungle Growth Mix for commercial soil because it's organic if I don't make my own. I came across this idea watching this youtube video and thought what a novel and productive way of clearing a new space for my ever enlarging garden. I started five or ten years ago with a 6' x 6' square (approx. 2 meters square for you non-American folks). The grass underneath dies while you produce crops. No longer would I have to cut through sod before I hit the rich, good earth and promote the earthworm population at the same time. Grass would always muck up my tiller blades making a mess. I thought it was kind of a neat idea at the time so I tried it.

Since my stroke, I can't use my tiller. It takes two good working hands. So the prospect of having my half acre garden would have to wait until I got my arm back. Meanwhile, I have been suffering allergy attacks from store bought foods and the all over my body outbreaks of hives because of the chemicals commercial farmers used. I've been miserable these past months since we've gone through most of the frozen food stuffs I've put by in stores. We do love our veges.

My nephew offered to build me some raised bed planting boxes, raised bed types if I supplied the materials. Now you know me, I'll squeeze two cents into a quarter with it kicking and yowling all the way. There just had to be a cheaper alternative. It wasn't just the wood and nails, but the dirt needed to fill these boxes I was balking at. Plus they were permanent. I don't know about the rest of you stroke survivors out there, but I feel the deficits I now face are only temporary. A bump in the road of life. Nothing should be permanent when adapting.

Granted, we could get the dirt from the fish pond we are digging on our property, but then I'd have to have multiple trucks loads of it brought from the property to my home. For something temporary? Because it was convenient for me? Nope, I figured there had to be an easier and cheaper way.

I found one. Milk crates. I had used them previously to build a potting bench out of them. Why couldn't they work for a raised bed garden. Most large restaurants (schools & hospitals) have large amounts of them just stacked up just collecting dust. The milk companies forget about them and just bring more. The same thing goes for those large plastic racks for bread. They'll give them away for free if you ask for them. This is where being a former chef paid off. <g>

I'm talking about the commercial grade, heavy duty crates not the dollar store knock-offs. The knock offs just can't handle the weight. For single patches I used an inverted, large, plastic trash can as "legs." for seedlings and shallow rooted crops. The bare spot underneath where the grass dies, will be cleared for planting roses because I love teas with rose hips, a huge source of vitamin C.

I stacked the milk crates three high and placed them off to one side of my back patio. It's mobile and can be broken down into nothing. The grass doesn't die underneath so no harm no foul. When and if we decide to sell this property, no one would be the wiser except for my neighbors. Yes, I'd still have to buy bags of Jungle Growth Mix but I'd do that anyhow for my lettuce patch or enlarging my garden. The soil after growing season is over is put into the compost bin for next year's garden fertilizer.

It works! Not on the scale of my half acre garden but it will produce, given the space constraints, fresh food and plenty to put up for later use. Can I still do my three-sisters method of planting? Yep or at least I'm going to try it. Now corn grows five to six feet high so harvesting it could pose some problems, but the stalks will stay in place until the bean and peas finish harvesting. I guess my bigger grandsons or granddaughter on a step ladder would work for harvesting the corn. I did plan ahead and made them only two crates high for this patch.

How do I make the soil deep enough? I stacked three bags on top of each other and just cut the plastic bag away in the center. It works for turnips and potatoes. Of course, there are always my handy-dandy 5 gallon buckets to plant root crops in. Placed on a milk crate, of course. That how I plant my horseradish anyhow. In case you didn't know, horseradish has an extremely invasive root system.

I tried out those planting bags and those Topsy-Turvy planters a few years ago with strawberries, and tomatoes so I'll do it again this year. They hang from my grandchildren's swing set my, now, unused clothes line, and my gazebo.The only problem I have with the Topsy-Turvy and tomatoes is that the tomato plants can grow eight feet in length. Unless I hang it from my roof..it will drag the ground, so much for ease in harvesting. Notice the picture to the right? The device in higher than the door frame in the background.

So for at least this year my garden is growing above ground in extra raised bed. I'll have to let you know the yield I get.  For my raised bed garden I did place my bags onto a bread rack for more stability. I used 21-1.5 cu. ft. bags of Jungle Growth Mix, 36 milk crates, 4 bread racks for my mini garden. The seeds I culled from my garden from an earlier harvest. For any stakes my neighbor has a mini forest of bamboo. For the cost of the growing soil about $100. I'll get possibly a 150% of my investment back.

How much would I pay for a gym membership in a year to use their exercise machine? Gardening is an excellent form of balance and physical training plus the meeting my nutritional needs to boot. It also saves me in more doctor visits and prescriptions. It's a win-win situation.

Now for the video I watched to learn how to garden in a bag. I didn't use the frame or string and used a screwdriver to poke the holes. :o)




2 comments:
Lara April 7, 2013 - Very clever! Glad you're getting back to gardening! :)
Reply: J.L. Murphey April 8, 2013 - I'm glad too. I can't afford not to.


See the original article:
      Sunday Stroke Survival ~ Adaptive Gardening
      in The Murphey Saga

A Treasure in the Garden

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I had a little time this morning while Bob was still asleep and decided to catch up on some long overdue gardening. While weeding in my garden, my trowel hit a rock and I was about to toss the rock aside when I noticed some familiar handwriting on it: Bob's handwriting.

His message made me smile. Then, it made me cry because now he can barely read or write, let alone sneak out into my garden and leave a little message. I try to be strong, but some days, I just want my husband back.

1 comment:
Jenn March 22, 2011 said... Woman, the Universe is sending you an important message here!: ) It knows when you're needing an uplifting hand, an viola! 

I'm so sorry I've been away for these past few days. Erik is sitting beside me now as I'm typing this. Will detail more in a personal email.

See the original article:
     A Treasure in the Garden
     in The Pink House On The Corner

Pallet Vertical Garden & Et cetera ...

Pallet Vertical Garden

Published on May 31, 2012

Learn how to make a vertical garden planter out of an old shipping pallet.


Standard YouTube License @ GrowOrganic Peaceful Valley

Building a Vertical Pallet Garden

Published on Apr 4, 2012

Building a Vertical Pallet Garden

Last week we saw David Walrod transform a block wall with pallets for a very special Urban Dirt fan. This week David breaks down how to build a pallet garden as well as mount it on a block wall. He'll walk you through locating the perfect pallet then break down the building of the pallet from start to finish.

About Urban Dirt

Urban Dirt hosted by landscape designer, David Walrod, has began its second season! This season we will continue to explore the world of urban gardening in search of inspiration, education, and resources to incorporate green space into our everyday lives. David, along with his sought after garden and landscape experts, will guide us along sharing tips and tricks that will ensure garden success and enjoyment!

Starring: David Walrod
Director of Photography/Post-Production: Jose Bazan
Created & Produced by David Walrod & Jeremy Romero
Music by: FVG

Standard YouTube License @ URBAN DIRT hosted by David Walrod

Intention Tremor, and a Possible Neuroplastic Treatment

Peter G Levine
The Stroke Recovery Blog

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

In stroke intention tremor is caused by damage to the cerebellum.

The cerebellum is important in fine coordination. If the stroke damages the cerebellum fine motor coordination suffers.

(Note: Intention tremor is different from essential tremor, often found in Parkinson's)

It is called intention tremor because the tremor happens when somebody moves intentionally. So let's say the intended movement is touching your nose with a fingertip. If someone has intention tremor the trajectory toward the nose is good but when they get close to the nose (closer to the intended target) the tremor begins. As the New York Times put it:

Intention (or kinetic) tremors: These tremors occur at the end of a purposeful (intended) movement, such as writing, pressing a button, or reaching for an object. The tremor will often disappear while the affected body part is at rest. 

Outside of stroke it is often seen long-term alcoholics. So here's my first suggestion: If you have intention tremors, don't drink. Other drugs can cause tremors as well. So, the "Brown Bag Medication Review" may help in reducing tremors.

How has intention tremor typically been treated? 

Intention tremor is notoriously difficult to treat. There are several drugs that are used for treatment, but they all work for some of the people some of the time. (Here's an example of an herbal "remedy.")

Other things that had been tried:

Physical therapy: In some people it works great to temporarily reduce tremors. It's not cure.

Meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, biofeedback have all been used with varying levels of success.

The neuroplastic model: So what is the neuroplastic model for overcoming intention tremor? I guess the first question is: Is there a neuroplastic model? Is there anything that can be done to rewire the brain "around" this movement disorder?

We will wait for neuroscience to catch up to that question. It could take decades, it could take centuries. On the other hand, somebody could come up with a really good way of applying the brain's inherent plasticity tomorrow. So you never know.

Having said all that, I still have some suggestions that may very well rewire the brain to help overcome this issue. Here are my suggestions:

Mirror therapy: This is the way that mirror therapy would be applied:

Just like in mirror therapy for movement recovery, you look only at the "good" side. That is, you only see the flawless movement of the unaffected side.

Bimanual training. This option involves having the "good" train the "bad." It's a simple enough concept; whatever the good hand does, the bad hand attempts to copy.

See the original article:
       Intention Tremor, and a Possible Neuroplastic Treatment
       in The Stroke Recovery Blog

Prediction of On-Road Driving Ability After Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke

Dean Reinke
Deans' Stroke Musing

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

I think I would have tried again and again until I  passed.
European Journal of Neurology - Prediction of On-Road Driving Ability...

Background and Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine the predictive value of widely used standardized neuropsychological tests in a clinical setting for on-road driving performance in patients with cerebral stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to provide cut-off values for neuropsychological test results under which driving should not be recommended.

Methods

Data from 78 patients who had undergone comprehensive driving assessment after stroke or TBI were retrospectively included in the analysis. Patients underwent medical examination, neuropsychological testing and on-road assessment. Medical data, demographic variables and neuropsychological performance were used as predictors in a stepwise logistic regression analysis with pass/fail after the on-road test as the dependent variable. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was employed to select cut-off values for the tests that were significant predictors for on-road performance.

Results

Forty-three patients passed and 35 failed the on-road driving task. Logistic regression analysis revealed three significant neuropsychological tests (CalCap simple reaction time, Trail Making Test A, Grooved Pegboard) as predictors for on-road performance explaining 46% of the variance with an overall classification accuracy of 82.1%. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the following cut-off values: CalCap, 395 ms; Trail Making Test A, 46 s; Grooved Pegboard, 97.5 s.

Conclusion

The results suggest that driving ability after brain damage and cerebral disease with no severe neurological deficits can be measured with a few distinctive neuropsychological tests together with medical examination and on-road assessment Cut-off scores are a useful supplement to normative data/scaled scores.

See the original article:
   Prediction of On-Road Driving Ability After Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke
   in Deans' Stroke Musing

What Every Caregiver Should Know about SpeechTherapy

Sunday, April 7, 2013

What we are learning from Caregivers who have questions about speech therapy?  The following article reviews a questions that was posed today by a Caregiver today.  “Many speech therapists believe that you should not “cue” the person with the speaking difficulty or that you should just “wait and let them find the word or the thought they wish to convey.”

My comment:  A person with aphasia already has great difficulty recalling words and formulating the language they wish to convey.  If that is so, why would anyone want to make a person who has difficulty with recall or thought formulation sit there and try to say what they want to say?  (It’s like asking a person who does not swim, to swim across the lake.)

The Teaching of Talking Method purports there should be little or no frustration within the walls of the speech therapy office, or for that matter, at home where they reside.  Who wants to be frustrated?  I know of no one who wishes that!

The mark of truly successful speech and language stimulation is that there should be little or no frustration and that speaking should be an easy task. The easier the task, the better.  When a person who has difficulty speaking is shown a way they can utter speech and language they are happy, relieved and motivated.  That is truly what I believe should be happening within a speech therapy interchange.  No frustration, and lots of talking.

Some therapists believe there should be no cues, mimicking, or imitation. The person with the speaking difficulty needs a model to imitate.  They are seemingly lost when they attempt to speak.  When a therapist or caregivers says the word or words clearly and concisely and in an easy manner, the person with the speaking difficulty should be able to closely imitate and replicate the model.  The person with the speaking difficulty must be stimulable; by that I mean they must be able to repeat words or sounds with some degree of accuracy to be successful with the Teaching of Talking Method.

When the person with the speaking difficulty says a word or string of words in imitation, the chances of being able to say the utterance again is improved.  Why?  Because they have been successful with a task and the likelihood of it happening again is higher.  When given cues and imitation opportunities the ability to pay attention improves, as well the ability to listen to the sounds of words and the way words are stringed together to express a thought.  Success breeds success; frustration breeds avoidance, and dislike for the whole speech and language process.

Remember, to help the person who has a speaking difficulty, say a word or thought by actually saying it with them, and then having them repeat it.  Like teaching someone how to swim, don’t just throw them in the water, teach them the strokes; look them directly in the eye, say the word slowly and have them watch your face, lips and tongue.  Have them say what needs to be said with you, and then after you.  Before long they will be swimming or talking with improvement.


See the original article:
      What every Caregiver Should Know RE: SpeechTherapy
      at https://www.facebook.com/mark.ittleman
      or The Teaching of Talking

NeuroGym - Leading-Edge Rehab Equipment Purchased for 32 Alberta Hospitals

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (March 26, 2013) - NeuroGym® Technologies Inc. announced today that 32 Alberta hospitals and rehabilitation centres are now equipped with its patented mobility training tools as part of an initiative funded by the Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy to improve outcomes for stroke rehabilitation. The unique line of NeuroGym® therapy equipment, developed and manufactured in Canada, represents the new face of neuro rehabilitation and is helping to change therapeutic outcomes across North America.

Developed and refined over many years by company CTO Avi Nativ PhD PT in his Ottawa neuro rehabilitation clinic, NeuroGym Rehabilitation, the NeuroGym Technologies products are all based upon principals of neuroscience and enable the type of active, intensive practice of motor skills required to increase neural plasticity and improve the ability to move again following brain trauma. Traditionally, rehabilitation after a stroke or brain injury was quite passive in nature, with little or no intensive movement practice. Scientific evidence has since emphasized the importance of increasing a recovering patient’s opportunity to practice motor skills, but for most rehabilitation clinicians this has been difficult to achieve effectively with just the usual parallel bars and exercise balls. With NeuroGym Technologies equipment such as the Sit-to-Stand Trainer and Bungee Mobility Trainer, stroke patients can now safely and actively practice and re-learn motor tasks critical to functional independence such as standing, balancing and walking.

The Association for the Rehabilitation of Brain Injury (ARBI) is a Calgary based facility that provides intensive long-term rehabilitation for Brain Injury and Stroke. The recent Alberta Health Services Stroke Strategy initiative allowed them to acquire this much-needed rehab equipment. According to Program Director, Mary Anne Ostapovitch, “Everyone at ARBI is thrilled to incorporate the NeuroGym® Sit-to-Stand and Bungee Mobility Trainers into daily rehab programs, as this equipment is based on neuroplasticity principles and motivates individuals to become more independent in their transfers and walking. Our clients report that they are working harder and feel extremely safe using this equipment”.

NeuroGym Technologies Inc. doesn’t only supply their unique mobility training equipment to hospitals and clinics. It is also filling a much needed gap by providing more effective options for Seniors to regain and maintain their mobility. “We are proud of the fact that our equipment is now contributing to the improvement of patients in over 600 facilities all over North America including many long term care (LTC) facilities.” says Kevin Mansfield, President & CEO. Governments are now incenting nursing facilities to improve the functional independence of residents through a new funding model. “This not only saves healthcare dollars, as mobile people are less expensive to look after, but has a wonderful quality of life benefit to people in LTC”.

Obtaining state of the art rehabilitation and mobility training tools will continue to be a critical factor for hospitals, clinics and long term care facilities facing the familiar challenges of limited financial resources and increasing patient/resident expectations. The Alberta Health Services Stroke Strategy initiative to provide their facilities with this type of equipment was an important step in that direction. For further information contact: Kevin Mansfield, CEO of NeuroGym Technologies Inc. at 1-877-523-4148 ext. 2.

NeuroGym Technologies is located at: 1644 Bank Street, Suite 103, Ottawa, ON K1V 7Y6. Visit our website at: http://www.neurogymtech.com.

NeuroGym Rehabilitation Ottawa & Comments from Dr. Avi Nativ:

Three Steps Back

Marcelle Greene
Up Stroke

Monday, January 14, 2013

In my recovery each advance has been hard-fought and has brought new freedoms. Walking without a cane meant being able to carry items from point A to point B. Stronger muscles meant more stamina — to run an errand or do a chore. These abilities gave me a sense of usefulness, which helped my mood.

In the last months of 2012, I surrendered these luxuries by agreeing to an experimental treatment designed to improve my lopsided gait. Arbi had the unusual idea of injecting Botox into my peroneous longus and peroneous brevis muscles, essentially immobilizing them. Without them my foot inverts (rotates inward). To walk I was therefore forced to engage my weak extensor muscles, which assist with foot "eversion." This was the objective: to strengthen the minor muscles around my ankle.

By the end of each day, my ankle was so tired and painful, I couldn't stand up even to microwave dinner. I became more dependent on my husband again. I started using a cane again. Friends who had celebrated my progress watched me regress. It was really hard.

But three months later my ankle is stronger, my foot straighter and my gait more even. I now sometimes take a half-dozen steps that feel almost normal. I can envision a time when I will walk without a limp and what that might feel like.

But it won't be within the next few months. Arbi just told me that the experiment has been such a success, he wants to repeat it — to force those tiny ankle muscles to work even harder.
Sigh. Six steps forward, three steps back.

7 comments:

Sara Wilson Etienne Monday, January 14, 2013 - Wow. Talk about brave. Your ability to sacrifice pride and sense of strength for a longer lasting, harder goal is incredibly impressive. This blog post immediately made me think of emotional/writing issues I've been struggling with.

The willingness to look "weak" during the process of growing strong is immensely challenging. But as this post shows, this is often the only path available to us. And many people are unwilling to take it. Unwilling to look weak or foolish to the world. Making the weaker parts (literally or figuratively) do the work is messy and exhausting, but is the only way to transform weakness into strength. Your actions give me the courage to allow myself to be vulnerable in order to grow strong. Thank you, as always!

Sara Wilson Etienne Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - I want to add that obviously doing this physically vs. emotionally are two very different matters. I only mean that your willingness to be brave makes me want to be brave in my own way!

J.L. Murphey Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - I'm scheduled for the same procedure in May. I would gladly take 3 steps back for total progress. It's the back and forth with stroke which is disheartening.

It sounds like this procedure is worth the effort. Thanks!

barbpolan Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - Congrats!

Rebecca Dutton Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - I love the days when my gait almost feels normal. What an amazing journey!

Janet Mc Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I can see that we have to risk being imperfect to grow and get stronger. It is such a pleasure to read your blog!

Grace Carpenter Wednesday, January 16, 2013 - You're brave.

Crabs, Penguins, and Ants - Take the Bus!

Jackie Poff
Stroke Survivors Tattler

Original in Dutch: Duval Guillaume Modem breide een vervolg aan zijn beroemde 'Mieren' spot (560.000 views op YouTube) voor De Lijn. Ook deze keer werd die in synthesebeelden gemaakt door de tovenaars van Creative Conspiracy. We zien een reeks krabben die op hun eigen manier bewijzen dat het slimmer is om je in groep te verplaatsen.

And in English (by Google): Duval Guillaume Modem knitted a sequel to his famous 'Ants' spot (560,000 views on YouTube) for the line. This time it was in synthetic images created by the wizards of Creative Conspiracy. We see a series of crabs in their own way to prove that it is smarter to put you in a group.

Standard YouTube License @ CC - Creative Conspiracy




Standard YouTube License @ Duval Guillaume Modem




Standard YouTube License @ Duval Guillaume Modem

Archie Bunker and the Doctor

Monty Becker
Stroke Survivors Tattler

Published on Mar 31, 2012

Archie gets prepared for his surgery by his doctor. Hilarious scene!







Standard YouTube License @ terrapin227

Ariadne's Gate

John C Anderson
Stroke Survivors Tattler

Citie Ballet presents

Ariadne's Gate 

Saturday, Apr 13, 2013

7:30 – 9:30PM

Location: Timms Centre for the Arts
          87 Avenue and 112 St NW
City:     Edmonton
Venue:    University of Alberta
Details:  Ballet
Category: Performing Arts / Culture
Cost:     $35/person, Service charges apply
Tickets:  tixonthesquare.ca or at the door
Phone:    780.420.1757
Link:     www.tixonthesquare.ca …

Inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Ariadne and Theseus, Citie Ballet’s new story ballet revisits the compelling tale of a hero who slays a minotaur, and escapes from a labyrinth with a spool of thread provided by his lover. With libretto by Edmonton’s Katherine Koller and choreography by François Chevennement and Laurence Menotti-Chevennement, this epic romance is set to the music of Tchaikovsky.

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