What Hanging from a Bar for 30 Seconds Can Do for Your Body

 The whole reason I installed a bar in my garage. I'll never be able to do pullups ever again BECAUSE OF THE COMPLETE FUCKING FAILURE OF MY DOCTOR TO GET ME RECOVERED!

It might be the only way I get grip strength back in my left hand since MY DOCTOR KNEW NOTHING!

What Hanging from a Bar for 30 Seconds Can Do for Your Body

Most people leave the monkey bars behind with childhood. Yet hanging from a bar—right-side up, don’t worry—may be one youthful habit worth picking back up, especially if you spend your days hunched over your desk and phone. (Guilty.)

“We look at kids on a playground—what are they doing?” says Australian physiotherapist Daniel Vadnal, owner of FitnessFAQs, who posts instructive videos on Instagram and YouTube. “They don’t need to be told to hang. They just intuitively do it.”

A few years ago, Vadnal persuaded his grandmother, now 93, to try a supported hang. That means gripping a bar overhead with straight arms but keeping your feet planted on the floor, rather than dangling your entire body weight. She was skeptical: She hadn’t even raised her arms fully overhead since she was a kid. But after just 30 seconds, she felt taller and looser—and found it easier to reach her kitchen cabinets.

Here’s what hanging can do for your body, how to keep your feet planted while you build strength, and why just 30 seconds is long enough. 

It gives your upper body a stretch

At its simplest, hanging means gripping a secure overhead pull-up bar—the kind that can be installed in a doorway—with straight arms while supporting some or all of your body weight. You remain right-side up: Your hands are above your head, and your feet point toward the floor or remain planted on it. Hanging upside down, known as inversion, is an entirely different exercise. “It’s fairly simple, but it’s not easy,” says Hazel Anderson, a physical therapist and faculty member at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Austin.

Whether your feet stay planted for support or lift off the floor, there are two ways to position your upper body. “The passive hang is, as the name suggests, just relaxed,” Vadnal says. “You’re letting nature, gravity, your body do whatever it wants.” Your shoulders move toward your ears, creating a stretch through the shoulders, arms, and trunk.

An active hang requires more effort. “You want to think of trying to bring your shoulder blades down away from your ears,” Vadnal says. That engages the muscles around the shoulders and back, creating more stability. Your elbows remain straight—and your feet can remain planted or off the floor—in either type of hang.

Vadnal considers passive and active hangs opposite ends of a spectrum. A passive hang still requires enough muscle effort to remain safely attached to the bar; an active one involves “really making a concerted effort” to hold yourself in position. He recommends choosing the amount of engagement that feels most comfortable for your body.

Reaching overhead may feel especially satisfying after all those hours slumped over your desk. Hanging “stretches all the tight muscles that we tend to have through the pecs, through the triceps on the back of the arms, as well as the lats,” Vadnal says. You’ll likely find it leaves you feeling a little taller—and less scrunched up through the shoulders.

That doesn’t mean 30 seconds on a bar will permanently correct your posture or treat back or shoulder pain; those claims haven’t been established in strong clinical trials. But hanging moves your upper body into a position it might not visit very often, which helps explain why people often step down feeling looser.

It makes your grip work

A hang might look passive, but your hands and forearms are busy keeping you attached to the bar. “First and foremost, it supports grip endurance,” Anderson says. “It’s helping with grip strength, but more with the endurance of being able to hold on to the bar.”

That endurance is useful for everything from carrying groceries to working toward a pull-up. “The hands, fingers, and forearms serve as a link to our back,” Vadnal says. Strengthening that link helps prepare you to support—and eventually pull—your body weight.

Research on short, recreational hangs is limited, and most studies involve climbers. In a small 2026 study, 11 climbers hung on until their grip gave out. As they got tired, their shoulders and other upper-body muscles increasingly pitched in to keep them on the bar.

Another randomized trial found that when experienced climbers hung by their fingers for eight weeks, with progressively more weight attached to the body, some measures of grip strength improved. The study involved extra weight and a climbing hold—not beginners attempting a relaxed 30-second hang—but it supports the idea that regularly asking your hands to hold you up can make them better at the job.

Grip strength is also widely used as a marker of overall health. “We do know that grip strength is correlated with longevity,” Vadnal says. In a study of nearly 140,000 adults across 17 countries, weaker grip was associated with a higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease.

That doesn’t mean hanging longer will make you live longer, Vadnal adds. Think of it as one useful signal—not a path to immortality.

Your feet can stay on the floor

Beginners don’t need to hover heroically above the ground. When you’re starting out, the bar is—quite literally—low. “I love the addition of a little step stool or platform,” Anderson says. Hold the bar with both hands, bend your knees slightly, and keep enough weight in your feet that the stretch feels manageable. You can gradually allow your arms to support more of you as you become comfortable.

“You definitely don’t need to jump straight to 30-second hangs all at once,” Anderson says. She recommends starting with a 10-second supported hang and repeating it three to five times, resting briefly between attempts. From there, work toward the 30-second goal. Vadnal likes three 30-second sets, but only after choosing a variation easy enough to complete with control.

Begin with your hands about shoulder-width apart. “That’s most comfortable for pretty much everyone,” Vadnal says, though you can move your hands wider or narrower based on what feels best. Wrap your thumbs underneath the bar to make your grip more secure.

If the typical overhand position bothers your shoulders, try a neutral grip, with your palms facing each other. Many gyms have parallel handles that allow for it, and gymnastics rings will rotate to accommodate your joints. Vadnal calls it “probably the most friendly position for the shoulders.”

Decide whether a passive or slightly more active hang feels better, and don’t worry about matching someone else’s position. Forcing your shoulders farther overhead than they can comfortably go may leave them sore or irritated, Vadnal says. Let your range of motion improve gradually instead.

Most importantly, remember to breathe. Anderson advises using “slow, controlled breaths” and making sure you’re not holding your air in, whether you’re a beginner or an expert. It’s easy to get so focused on staying on the bar that your whole body clenches up; a few steady breaths can help you relax into the hang.

“Don’t chase the clock,” Anderson says. If your form changes or you can no longer control the hang, put your feet down, rest, and try again.

Know when to let go

Hanging should feel like work—not like you’re about to injure yourself. “We should feel a stretching sensation; we should feel fatigued,” Vadnal says. “We shouldn’t feel pain.” Put your feet down if you experience sharp or persistent pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.

Those symptoms are signs to stop, not to push through. Talk to a doctor or a physical therapist before trying again. Some people should seek guidance before they ever reach for the bar: Anderson recommends medical clearance for anyone who recently had shoulder surgery or an injury involving the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, or trunk. The same applies to people with shoulder instability, pain when reaching overhead, cardiovascular concerns, or uncontrolled high blood pressure. 

Osteoporosis doesn’t automatically make hanging off-limits. But because a fall could have more serious consequences, Anderson says, it’s particularly important to keep your feet supported and get personalized guidance.

Anderson recommends practicing two or three times a week on nonconsecutive days, which allows the muscles to recover. There’s no need to progress from zero hanging to auditioning for Cirque du Soleil. Add time or body weight gradually, and take a day off if your hands, forearms, or shoulders remain unusually sore.

If you like hanging, Vadnal suggests keeping a bar somewhere you’ll regularly see it, like in your laundry room. “It’s like daily hygiene,” he says. “You brush your teeth; hanging is a good thing, too.”

New health survey finds Americans don’t just want to live longer—they want to age well

 Is your competent? doctor getting you recovered enough so you can age well? My doctor completely failed at the task of getting me recovered post stroke, everything I recovered I did on my own. He knew nothing and did nothing!

New health survey finds Americans don’t just want to live longer—they want to age well

Longevity has become one of the biggest buzzwords in wellness. It’s often associated with extending lifespan, delaying aging, and optimizing every aspect of health. But when we asked Americans what longevity actually means to them, we heard a different story.

For our newest survey, HEALTH’s Longevity Insights Report, we asked 1,000 people what they really think about when they think about longevity, and the answers were surprisingly consistent: they’re not focused on living forever—they want to live better. That means staying mentally sharp, remaining independent, having energy, and continuing to do the things they love with the people they love.

 What Surprised Us the Most Longevity conjures up thoughts of living as long as possible (or maybe freezing yourself in a cryochamber), but people aren’t hyper-focused on reaching triple digits—they simply want to live well. Quality of life consistently outranked lifespan: Seventy-three percent of survey respondents said they’d rather focus on living better than living longer, and 68% said longevity should focus on aging well, not staying young. In fact, over half (57%) actually prefer the phrase “aging well” to “longevity.” Living or aging well covers a wide swath. It’s not just avoiding disease—although 89% said being free of serious illness is essential to doing well—but it also covers staying mentally sharp, feeling emotionally at peace, living independently, being physically strong and active, and, yes, looking good for their age. And people aren’t expecting trendy health hacks or high-tech devices to move the needle. Instead, they’re looking for realistic, sustainable approaches—85% agreed that small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference, and more than half (52%) would rather focus on the basics of healthy aging. Related video: Key to longevity? Experts say it’s these 2 factors (Las Vegas Review-Journal)Why This Matters for HEALTH

The longevity landscape has evolved and HEALTH is evolving with it. The goal? To make healthy aging feel more accessible to everyone.

Our survey shows that we’re right on time. Three in four people said they want to learn more about longevity and find the topic exciting and empowering—but also told us the current conversation doesn’t always reflect what they’re looking for. More than half said they reject the idea that aging is synonymous with decline, and 69% disagree with the idea that older people stop caring about beauty, style, and looking good.

That’s why we’re broadening the conversation around longevity. Rather than focusing solely on extending lifespan or chasing the latest wellness trend, this package explores what aging well actually looks like to Americans—and the practical, evidence-based habits that can help support it.

What You’ll Find in This Package

HEALTH’s Longevity Insights Report uncovered a wealth of meaningful findings about the state of longevity in America.

You’ll get an inside look at what people really think “aging well” means (and why mental sharpness and emotional well-being rank so high on that list), why consumers are rejecting extreme longevity hacks for simpler tried-and-true habits, and what motivates people to start thinking about aging (hint: it’s not turning 40).

Also on deck: We’ll parse out the barriers that keep people from making (and sustaining) healthy aging habits, and why people with chronic conditions—all 194 million of us—need to be included in the longevity discourse, too.

We hope that this survey—and our renewed focus on aging well—keeps pushing the longevity conversation forward. Aging well isn’t about living forever or staying completely disease-free. It’s about preserving the things that make life meaningful: our health, our relationships, our independence, and our ability to participate fully in the lives we want to live.

Explore the HEALTH Longevity Insights Report

Read the original article on Health

This Russian Peptide Regrew Brain Cells in Stroke Rats. The Human Data Is Thin But the Safety Record Spans 3 Decades

 Three decades of incompetence in your doctor and hospital in not getting this to an interventional protocol! Aren't you glad of WORLD CLASS INCOMPETENCE in your facility?

 Of course your competent? doctor already has EXACT PROTOCOLS that deliver all the BDNF you need. And has been for over a decade, right? But your doctor incompetently knew nothing and did nothing, right? Which means your board of directors is so incompetent they can't recognize incompetence in their staff!

• BDNF (209 posts to April 2011)

This Russian Peptide Regrew Brain Cells in Stroke Rats. The Human Data Is Thin But the Safety Record Spans 3 Decades

A clear pill that lets you read a book in 15 minutes and actually remember it. Learn Italian over a weekend. Use that new skill to charm an Italian supermodel you can now understand both literally and emotionally.That’s the pitch of the movie Limitless, where Bradley Cooper transforms from washed-up writer to Wall Street genius after taking a designer drug.Society has chased chemical brain boosters for over a century. World War II literally ran on speed—Germans had Pervitin (methamphetamine they nicknamed “tank chocolate”), while Allies distributed Benzedrine, basically 1940s Adderall.

The Air Force fed pilots “go pills”—pure dextroamphetamine—from Vietnam through Afghanistan, which may have contributed to a 2002 incident where two US pilots on Dexedrine accidentally bombed a Canadian unit.

The pattern never changes: every shortcut works, but every shortcut bills you—whether it’s your heart, sleep, or addiction risk.

Enter Soviet Neuroscience

Semax is a heptapeptide—seven amino acids strung together: methionine, glutamate, histidine, phenylalanine, proline, glycine, and proline.

Unlike other peptides extracted from animal tissue, Semax was designed on purpose by Soviet pharmacologists at Moscow’s Institute of Molecular Genetics starting in the 1980s.

Researchers started with a fragment of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), which normally tells adrenal glands to produce cortisol. A four-amino-acid fragment showed positive stress effects on brain function—think learning, attention, resistance to low oxygen—without hormonal downsides like muscle breakdown.

Scientists welded on a proline-glycine-proline tail to prevent enzymatic degradation, creating a brain-targeted stress hormone fragment with built-in stabilizer. A non-stimulant cognitive booster with no obvious addiction profile—exactly what everyone had been hunting for.

At roughly 814 daltons, Semax is relatively small (BPC-157 is about 1,419, semaglutide exceeds 4,000). Small enough that Russians believed nasal mucous membranes could deliver it directly to brain tissue—hence the nasal drop delivery method.

How Semax Actually Works

The headline mechanism involves BDNF—brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Think of it as fertilizer for neurons, helping them survive, connect, and rewire.

In rat studies, Semax increases BDNF and its receptor TrkB in hippocampus and forebrain. That’s the most coherent thread in Semax research and the basis for every neuroplasticity claim attached to it.

It also nudges monoamine neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. But here’s critical nuance matching user reports: Semax is not a stimulant.

In rat studies, Semax alone barely moved dopamine but amplified response when something else was already driving it. That’s why most users describe feeling more motivation rather than a true buzz.

It’s Not NZT

The entire Limitless premise builds on the myth that we only use a fraction of our brains. Unfortunately, that’s fiction—we’re already using essentially 100% of our brains at baseline.

Semax doesn’t unlock dormant capacity waiting for activation. It optimizes signaling in tissue you’re already running.

What Does Science Actually Show

The evidence is present but lopsided in a very specific way.

Bench and animal data is surprisingly deep. Cell studies show BDNF and nerve growth factor genes activating. Rat stroke research is strongest—researchers literally tied off brain arteries in rats, administered Semax, then watched gene expression shift from inflammatory/injury patterns toward repair.

One study showed boosted cell proliferation in injured rat brains, spawning online claims that “Semax regrows your brain.” But again, this is in mice—not 35-year-old humans trying to focus on Excel spreadsheets.

Human Data Is Thin and Russian

A small fMRI study showed intranasal Semax measurably changed brain network activity in healthy volunteers. Older EEG and cognitive work from the 1990s exists, plus a stroke rehab study where Semax plus early rehabilitation raised blood BDNF and slightly accelerated recovery.

But large placebo-controlled trials examining cognitive improvements—how most people actually use it—are still lacking.

Russia has used Semax as an approved drug for over 30 years in stroke patients, giving it more real-world data than almost any non-FDA-approved substance. While not as robust as semaglutide trials, in some ways it’s better—GLP-1 agonists haven’t been around nearly as long.

Semax’s efficacy as cognitive booster may be fuzzy, but its safety profile appears solid.

Dosing: Russian Medicine vs. Gray Market

Russian pharmaceutical Semax comes as nasal drops in two strengths: 0.1% solution for cognitive boost and stroke recovery, and stronger 1% reserved for acute hospital stroke treatment.

One drop of 0.1% delivers approximately 50 micrograms. Labeled daily range runs from a few hundred up to couple thousand micrograms, usually for only a few days at a time.

Gray market biohackers report using nasal sprays between 100-1,000 micrograms daily, typically 5 days on, 2 days off, because tolerance develops quickly and spray isn’t cheap.

Some insist they get better results from subcutaneous injection, though this has no obvious upside and adds another needle to weekly routine.

The Gray Market Problem

When buying “research use only” Semax, there’s decent chance you’re not buying Semax itself. There’s an entire family of remixes: N-acetyl Semax and N-acetyl Semax amidate (Adamax), each with chemical tweaks to extend half-life or intensify effects.

Those aren’t the molecules from Russian studies. Your mileage may vary—like buying a live bootleg concert recording where maybe it sounds better than studio version, or maybe the artist is drunk and slurring.

Side Effects and Safety

Semax is generally well-tolerated, which is major part of its appeal. But well-tolerated doesn’t mean risk-free.

Common user-reported complaints include:

• Anxiety and irritability
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Insomnia if taken late in day
• Unpleasant emotional intensity—like volume got cranked on whatever you were already feeling

The single most common complaint? Feeling absolutely nothing, even at high doses. Could mean bad product, incomplete absorption, wrong analog, or simply individual non-response.

Russian labeling contraindicates pregnancy, breastfeeding, acute psychiatric illness, and notably, history of seizures. Anything nudging brain excitability deserves respect—”naturally derived peptide” doesn’t automatically mean benign.

The scariest thing about Semax in the USA isn’t the peptide itself—it’s the bottle. Since it can’t be legally manufactured here for human consumption, there’s zero guarantee regarding purity, sterility, or whether labeled dose matches actual contents.

FDA Meeting Could Change Everything

On July 23-24, the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) meets to decide the fate of several peptides, including Semax.

BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, and MOTS-c are up day one. Semax joins Epitalon and Dihexa on day two, July 24th.

These peptides exist in regulatory limbo. This meeting decides whether they return to a list allowing compounding pharmacies to legally manufacture them under real oversight with quality control, or stay banished to gray market forever.

For Semax specifically, the committee reviews it for cerebral ischemia and trigeminal neuralgia. While PCAC votes are technically advisory, FDA won’t grant access to legitimate high-quality Semax from compounding pharmacies without it.

There’s a public comment docket at regulations.gov that committee members must consider. Comments submitted by July 9th get physically handed to committee before the meeting. After that deadline, FDA may still read them, but people casting votes won’t see them.

The Real Limitless Pill

Is Semax a real-life limitless pill? Probably not. We’re still waiting for actual NZT, and nothing flips your brain to 100% because you’re already running at 100%.

Remember how Limitless actually ends: even fictional NZT had a body count—tolerance, blackouts, withdrawal, people dying when supply runs dry. Even the fantasy came with a bill.

But is Semax a real molecule with genuine cognitive effects, legitimate neuroprotective properties, and 30 years of Russian clinical use? Absolutely. It emerged from legitimate pharmaceutical research in Moscow, not a Hollywood writer’s room.

Semax may be subtle and context-dependent, but positive signals appear exactly where they matter—in cognition and the injured, stressed brain.

Your Real NZT Already Exists

For those chasing focus, the closest thing to a real-life limitless pill is less exciting than movie trailers but costs nothing: sleep, blood pressure control, exercise, avoiding alcohol, treating sleep apnea, addressing depression.

That’s your NZT. Once those fundamentals are dialed, Semax might be reasonable value-add. But it isn’t the whole meal.

When fundamentals are out of whack, nothing else does the work for you. The fanciest Russian nasal spray on Earth will likely be one big expensive disappointment.

Semax is a real molecule with real effects and genuine potential—but it’s a tool, not magic. And if you want access to properly manufactured versions with quality control, make your voice heard at the FDA docket before July 9th.

Betsy's recovery hopes rise amid looming police probe

 

This is precisely why you never listen to any pronouncements on recovery from your doctor; THEY KNOW NOTHING!

Like Scott Carpenter;

Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter suffers stroke; full recovery expected

Oops! 

 Scott Carpenter - Obituary

Betsy's recovery hopes rise amid looming police probe

Betsy’s recovery hopes rise as police investigation intensifies

In the latest episode, Betsy learns from doctors that her youth gives her a strong chance of a full recovery after suffering two strokes. The strokes were caused by damage to an artery in her neck during consensual strangulation with Dylan. While this brings relief, Lisa’s decision to report Dylan to the police marks a sharp escalation in the storyline, intertwining health recovery with looming legal consequences.

CT vs MRI: Assessing Stroke and Dementia Risk in White Matter Disease

 

My incompetent? doctor told me I had a bunch of white matter hyperintensities but never showed me them on any scan, so I don't know the size, location or any intervention needed, because my doctor knew nothing and did nothing. I have zero cognitive impairment and I'm 20 years out.

CT vs MRI: Assessing Stroke and Dementia Risk in White Matter Disease

 Patients with incidentally discovered white matter disease on computed tomography have a higher risk for future stroke or dementia than those with disease detected only on magnetic resonance imaging. White matter disease (WMD) detected on computed tomography (CT) identified patients at greater risk for future stroke or dementia than WMD detected only on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to study results published in Neurology. Covert cerebrovascular disease (CCD), which includes covert brain infarction (CBI) and WMD, is frequently identified incidentally during neuroimaging in patients without a history of stroke or dementia. Although MRI is generally considered more sensitive for detecting these abnormalities, CT remains the most commonly used neuroimaging modality in routine clinical practice. Researchers therefore compared incidentally discovered CCD detected on CT and MRI to determine whether findings from each modality differed in their association with subsequent neurologic outcomes. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults aged 50 years and older who underwent both head CT and brain MRI within a 30-day period between 2009 and 2022. They excluded patients with a prior history of stroke or dementia, as well as those with major neurologic symptoms suggestive of acute stroke. They used natural language processing to identify CBI and WMD from radiology reports and classify WMD severity. These findings highlight the importance of modality-specific interpretation of CCD in clinical practice and research. The analysis included 18,628 participants with a mean age of 64.9 years; 59.1% were women. The cohort was racially and ethnically diverse, with 41.4% identifying as non-Hispanic White, 32.7% as Hispanic, 12.0% as Asian or Pacific Islander, and 11.3% as African American. Cardiovascular risk factors were common, including hypertension (63.3%), hypercholesterolemia (71.3%), diabetes (30.3%), and a history of tobacco use (44.9%). The prevalence of CBI was similar across imaging modalities, occurring in 6.3% of CT scans and 6.1% of MRI scans. Overall agreement for CBI presence or absence was 91.6%. Among patients with CBI on MRI, 33.3% also had CBI on CT. Among patients with CBI on CT, 31.9% also had CBI on MRI. Researchers identified WMD in 60.5% of MRI reports compared with 24.4% of CT reports. Agreement for WMD presence was 57.6%. Among patients with WMD severity classified on both modalities, 47.9% received different severity classifications, and MRI assigned a higher severity grade than CT in 92.3% of those discordant cases. During a mean follow-up period of 4.4 years, 985 patients experienced stroke alone, 716 developed dementia alone, and 330 experienced both outcomes. Patients without WMD on either imaging modality had an incidence rate of stroke or dementia of 12.7 events per 1000 person-years. Rates increased to 22.6 among patients with WMD detected only on MRI, 37.0 among those with WMD detected only on CT, and 52.2 among those with WMD detected on both CT and MRI (all per 1000 person-years). After adjustment for demographic characteristics and vascular risk factors, patients with WMD detected only on MRI had a 23% higher risk for stroke or dementia than those without WMD on either modality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.41). Patients with WMD detected only on CT had an even greater risk (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.11-1.92), and those with WMD identified on both modalities had the greatest risk (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.58-2.11). The researchers observed a similar pattern for CBI. Compared with patients without CBI on either modality, those with MRI-only CBI had a higher adjusted risk for stroke or dementia (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.23-1.76), as did patients with CT-only CBI (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.04-1.53) and those with CBI detected on both modalities (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.33-2.11). The researchers suggested that MRI appears to detect a broader spectrum of white matter abnormalities, including milder disease that may not be visible on CT. In contrast, WMD identified on CT may represent more advanced or clinically significant cerebrovascular injury, potentially explaining its stronger association with future stroke or dementia. Study limitations include reliance on natural language processing of radiology reports rather than direct image review and the inclusion of only patients who underwent both CT and MRI. “These findings highlight the importance of modality-specific interpretation of CCD in clinical practice and research,” the study authors concluded.  Disclosures: This research was supported by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. One study author declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of disclosures.

Muscle Tone vs. Spasticity: Understanding the Difference - YouTube

 My therapists used tone because it sounded benign and fixable, they had nothing for it and didn't even understand how to approach it. I got just relax, THAT meant they KNEW NOTHING!

My doctor just said matter of factly that there was no cure for spasticity. That should have triggered a screaming event against him, but I was too calm of a guy to do that then. Now, I'd be screaming bloody murder for such a defeatist attitude!

Muscle Tone vs. Spasticity: Understanding the Difference - YouTube

A stroke survivor was told she’d never walk again. 7 years later, she’s proving doctors wrong

 Once again proving that stroke doctors KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about getting you recovered!

This is precisely why you never listen to any pronouncements on recovery from your doctor; THEY KNOW NOTHING!

Like Scott Carpenter;

Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter suffers stroke; full recovery expected

Oops! 

 Scott Carpenter - Obituary

You're missing your doctors' 10 dimension chess genius on nocebo; Your response will be. I'll prove this idiot doctor/therapist wrong and recover! 

A stroke survivor was told she’d never walk again. 7 years later, she’s proving doctors wrong

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Tina Wittman was told her recovery would only go so far after a devastating stroke. Seven years later, she’s still proving doctors wrong.

Wittman says she was healthy in 2019. Then all of a sudden, she said she “woke up in the middle of the night, collapsed on the floor.”

What followed were 10 days in the ICU, 30 days in rehab and months of learning how to talk and even swallow again. Doctors warned her she would most likely never walk again.

“My life flipped upside down,” she said.After the first year of recovery, many believe progress slows or even stops. Some doctors told her this would be her new normal.

“I don’t like this phrase,” Wittman said. “I was a go-getter. This drives me crazy.”

Tina Wittman still fighting for her recovery after suffering stroke(Brad Wittman)

 

Refusing to accept limits

 Wittman refused to accept her recovery was over and eventually found a new chapter at her 10th clinic, Neuro Therapy Nashville.“Neuro Nashville believes in recovery… I’m waking up muscles I’ve never used before — tricep, elbow, wrist, fingers,” she said.

“I push myself every day,” Wittman said.

Today, Wittman is still regaining strength. But some of her most meaningful work is happening outside of therapy.

 

She started a monthly cooking club for stroke survivors. She’s been working toward cutting vegetables, stirring food in pans and baking cakes and sourdough. She even learned how to make a one-handed pie crust.

For Wittman, cooking is about more than food. It’s about independence, community and keeping joy in her life.

“I’m focusing on the moments I’m here,” she said

She’s also spending her time giving back, tutoring kids in her neighborhood. Those students wanted to show their support for Wittman and other stroke survivors.

Saturday, she’s walking to support other stroke survivors while helping them find purpose, community and confidence again. Her students are helping too.

“They made 130 cards for the survivors in the walk, sweet messages,” Wittman said.

It’s moments like that that keep her going despite the stroke fatigue and the frustration she says can be just as hard.But through community, she’s found something stronger than the setbacks: Purpose, joy and people who understand the journey.

“Don’t believe you’re done. Keep going,” Wittman said. “I’m not done. I believe recovery is possible.”

The Seriously Awesome Stroke Survivors (SASS) Strut to raise awareness and funds for stroke recovery is Saturday, May 16 at Long Hunter State Park. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Opening ceremonies start at 9 a.m.

Higher BMI and Waist Circumference Consistently Linked to Worse Cognition

 

I was at exactly 25 BMI prior to stroke, then gained 30 pounds because my doctor knew nothing and did nothing to get me recovered enough to continue with all the activities that kept me in shape. And told me nothing about slowing metabolism after age 50. I have NO cognitive problems.

Higher BMI and Waist Circumference Consistently Linked to Worse Cognition

Higher BMI and waist circumference are significantly associated with poorer performance across all cognitive domains, including memory, flexibility, and processing speed, for both sexes.

Higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference are consistently associated with worse cognition among both sexes, according to study findings published in the International Journal of Obesity.Obesity is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, but it remains unclear how the timing of obesity across the lifespan, along with age- and sex-related differences in body fat distribution, influences this relationship.

In this cohort-based study, researchers aimed to assess the associations of BMI, waist circumference, abdominal overweight, and obesity with cognitive function and decline on the basis of age.

The study included 3873 participants aged 45 to 70 years at baseline (52% women) from the Doetinchem Cohort Study, an ongoing, population-based longitudinal study designed to examine lifestyle factors, biological risk determinants, and health across the lifespan between 1987 and 1991.

 

Our study underscores the importance of waist circumference as an independent risk factor for cognitive function and cognitive decline

Participants were classified as having abdominal obesity if their BMI was at least 30 or their waist circumference was at least 102 cm for men and at least 88 cm for women. Cognitive outcomes — global cognition, memory, flexibility, and processing speed — were derived by standardizing baseline test scores. Associations between time-varying BMI, waist circumference, and abdominal overweight or obesity with cognitive function and decline were analyzed using sex-stratified linear mixed models, adjusted for mental health, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors.

The primary outcome of the study is cognitive function and cognitive decline, assessed across multiple domains (global cognition, memory, flexibility, and processing speed).

Higher BMI and waist circumference were consistently associated with poorer cognitive performance across all domains among both sexes, with the strongest effects seen for BMI and memory. Each unit increase in BMI affected flexibility the most among both sexes (β=-0.017) whereas each unit increase in BMI affected global cognition the least among men (β=-0.011; 95% CI, -0.017 to -0.003) and women (β=-0.012; 95% CI, -0.018 to -0.007).Among men, each 1 cm increase in waist circumference was linked to a small but significant accelerated decline in cognitive processing speed (β=-1.952×10–⁴; 95% CI, -3.859×10–⁴; -4.579×10–⁶). Across all ages, abdominal obesity and general obesity were significantly associated with worse memory (eg, abdominal obesity: β=-0.149; 95% CI, -0.222 to -0.077).

Among men aged no older than 55 years, abdominal obesity was also related with poorer global cognition (β=-0.099; 95% CI, -0.15 to -0.048) and flexibility (β=-0.102; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.023). Among men aged older than 55 years, abdominal overweight compared with healthy waist circumference was associated with slightly better flexibility (β=0.166; 95% CI, 0.002-0.33).

Study limitations include potential selection bias and reduced generalizability due to a healthier cohort, attrition bias from selective dropout over time, and limited applicability to diverse populations given the reliance on a single, culturally homogeneous cohort.

The study authors concluded, “Our study underscores the importance of waist circumference as an independent risk factor for cognitive function and cognitive decline.”

Hands-free control of an assistive robotic arm for high-level paralysis

 Can your competent? doctor figure out how to repurpose this for upper limb hemiparesis?

Do you prefer your doctor, hospital and board of director's incompetence NOT KNOWING? OR NOT DOING? Your choice; let them be incompetent or demand action!

My doctor knew nothing and did nothing to get my left arm recovered; starting with complete failure to cure spasticity! 20 years later, left arm/hand are still completely worthless.

Hands-free control of an assistive robotic arm for high-level paralysis

• Brady A. Hasse,
• Mario A. Ibarra,
• Jehad A. Alfaleh,
• Derek Gin,
• Drew E. G. Sheets,
• Aaliyah M. P. A. Thompson-Mazzeo &
• Andrew J. Fuglevand 

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Abstract

Background

Recent advancements in assistive robotic arms have enabled many people with tetraplegia to perform activities of daily living more independently. Because these systems typically require hand use, they are not a ready option for many individuals with high-level (C4 and above) tetraplegia. Such individuals, however, might be able to use signals that arise from the head and neck to control assistive devices. Therefore, the goal of the study was to evaluate the utility of several signals arising from the head and neck to control a robotic arm during 3D center-out reaching to multiple targets ~ 25–50 cm from the start location.

Methods

Ten non-disabled human subjects were tested using five non-invasive, hands-free modalities (head position, head velocity, facial electromyography, tongue, and voice) to control a robot arm. For comparison, subjects also used joystick position and joystick velocity methods to control reaching movements of the robotic arm. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was carried out on key performance indicators including movement time, path efficiency, throughput, and perceived workload.

Results

The hands-free control modalities of head position, facial EMG, tongue, and voice had average (± SD) movement times (5.8 ± 1.6, 8.2 ± 3.7, 6.3 ± 2.0, and 10.0 ± 3.7 s, respectively). With the exception of voice, none of these times were significantly different than that of the benchmark hand position control of a joystick (6.3 ± 2.3 s). Furthermore, no significant differences were revealed in perceived workload across control modalities.

Conclusions

These results indicate, therefore, that various non-invasive, hands-free methods could be used effectively by people with high-level tetraplegia to operate assistive robotic arms.