Archive for the ‘Spinal Cord Injury’ Category

28-02-2012 13:33

See original here:
Jerry Walker Lokomat spinal cord injury - Video

06-01-2012 12:16 Spinal cord injury treatment. http://www.projectwalk.org exists to provide an improved quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries through intense exercise-based recovery programs, education, support and encouragement.

Link:
"Annette Ross", "Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery" - Video

06-01-2012 13:44 Spinal cord injury treatment. http://www.projectwalk.org exists to provide an improved quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries through intense exercise-based recovery programs, education, support and encouragement.

Read the original post:
"Brook", "Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery" - Video

24-02-2012 14:27 Birmingham's NBC 13 [WVTM-TV] talk show, Daytime Alabama featured UroMed's motivational program, Life After Spinal Cord Injury to bring awareness to the positive role that adaptive sports can play for wheelchair users worldwide. As part of the story, Daytime Alabama anchor Wendy Garner interviewed two UroMed employees, David Williams and Bert Burns [UroMed's founder] who share their experiences as wheelchair users as well as discussing their involvement with the Life After Spinal Cord Injury motivational program. "By offering LASCI programs, UroMed tries to address not only the urological needs of people like me, but also their social and emotional needs. Through LASCI events and online peer counselor conversations, we explain that people who use wheelchairs can have anything in life they pursue," Burns says. LASCI is sponsored by UroMed, [ http://www.uromed.com ] one of the largest urological supply companies in the country.

Continue reading here:
NBC 13's Daytime Alabama Profiles UroMed's Life After Spinal Cord Injury Motivational Program - Video

This experienced team of educators, clinicians, researchers and engineers work to provide education, products and rehabilitation solutions for adult and pediatric populations with motor control-related disabilities. They design and manufacture the LiteGait collection of products, used in treating stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, head injury, amputation, orthopedic problems, arthritis, balance issues and chronic pain.

Elberton, GA (PRWEB) March 02, 2012

The LiteGait mobility frames are mutually beneficial for rehabilitation facilities, therapists and patients. Facilities can increase efficiency and revenue by growing the number of patients receiving gait therapy, by reducing the risk of back injuries to staff and the risk of falls to patients, and by offering therapy to patients not previously eligible for gait therapy due to the complexity or severity of their conditions or cognitive levels. Therapists can provide more efficient treatment, without the risk of injury to themselves or their patients, and more properly and effectively facilitate a wide variety of gait, balance and alignment therapies. And patients can experience a sense of accomplishment with this supported suspension, learning to walk in an environment free from falls. The LiteGait allows the patient to begin training earlier in the rehabilitation process, and at a lower level, while offering improved interaction with the therapist.

Available in a multitude of sizes, styles and specifications, the LiteGait also offers a pediatric version for children in supported gait training and pre-gait developmental postures and movements. When employed as a dynamic stander, the LiteGait Walkable 100MX mobility frame enables children who cannot stand without assistance to interact more easily with others and their environment. We are proud to offer these amazing assistive mobility devices to more consumers, said Hulet Smith, Founder and CEO of Rehabmart. The LiteGait products from Mobility Research are used in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, physical therapy centers, resident care homes and private homes and are extremely useful for any patient challenged with mobility issues.

About Rehabmart.com:

As Occupational Therapists, the founders of Rehabmart have the breadth of knowledge and experience necessary to match the needs of its customers with the very latest innovative products in the field of medical supplies and rehabilitation equipment. As parents of special needs children, they have a personal interest in finding the best products to improve the lives of those who are disabled and medically challenged. Rehabmart.com is committed to provide superior customer service, competitive pricing and exceptional product offerings.

###

Hulet Smith, CEO RehabMart (800) 827-8283 Email Information

Read more here:
Assistive Mobility Devices Designed by Mobility Research Now Offered by Rehabmart.com

The Open University has come up with a 3D cell culture model that could provide insight into how cells in the spinal cord repair after damage.

The research, published in Tissue Engineering, shows how an interface develops between the injured and surrounding tissue after spinal cord injury. The interface inhibits neuronal regeneration, and this research will aid development of treatment to encourage repair.

Dr James Phillips, Lecturer in Health Sciences, explained: Astrocytes are central nervous system (CNS) cells that normally support neuronal activity, but they change behaviour following damage and can inhibit regeneration. With our model, we can simulate the interaction between astrocytes and regenerating neurons after CNS injury.

We found at first the astrocytes in our model were in a resting state, and then became reactive over 15 days, just like they do following CNS damage. As the astrocytes became reactive we were able to monitor the way in which the neurons interacted with them the neurons grew well in their part of the model but when they reached the boundary with the reactive astrocytes they could not penetrate it, mimicking the kind of regeneration failure associated with spinal cord damage.

By using the culture system, the research team can monitor both cell types continuously and control variables to test specific scientific questions. The 3D model provides a powerful new tool for neuroscience research and provides a new way to test the development of new therapies.

The authors Emma East PhD, Jon P. Golding PhD and James B. Phillips PhD from The Open University Faculty of Science, received support from The Wellcome Trust.

The rest is here:
Open University offers spinal cord injury solution

The Open University has come up with a 3D cell culture model that could provide insight into how cells in the spinal cord repair after damage.

The new 3-dimensional (3D) tissue model recreates interactions between cell types the system mimicking the cellular features of the spinal cord after damage, enabling scientists to study their behaviour in a similar way to how they normally function in the body.

The research, published in Tissue Engineering, shows how an interface develops between the injured and surrounding tissue after spinal cord injury. The interface inhibits neuronal regeneration, and this research will aid development of treatment to encourage repair.

Dr James Phillips, Lecturer in Health Sciences, explained: Astrocytes are central nervous system (CNS) cells that normally support neuronal activity, but they change behaviour following damage and can inhibit regeneration. With our model, we can simulate the interaction between astrocytes and regenerating neurons after CNS injury.

We found at first the astrocytes in our model were in a resting state, and then became reactive over 15 days, just like they do following CNS damage. As the astrocytes became reactive we were able to monitor the way in which the neurons interacted with them the neurons grew well in their part of the model but when they reached the boundary with the reactive astrocytes they could not penetrate it, mimicking the kind of regeneration failure associated with spinal cord damage.

By using the culture system, the research team can monitor both cell types continuously and control variables to test specific scientific questions. The 3D model provides a powerful new tool for neuroscience research and provides a new way to test the development of new therapies.

The authors Emma East PhD, Jon P. Golding PhD and James B. Phillips PhD from The Open University Faculty of Science, received support from The Wellcome Trust.

Visit link:
Open University offers spinal chord injury solution

Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) February 28, 2012

The law firm of Katz Stepp Wright & Fleming LLC (KSWF) recently won a $1,395,031 verdict on behalf of a client involved in an Atlanta car accident. (Thurman v. United Services Automobile Association, Civil Action File No. 2009EV007882F). The 2-day jury trial was held before Judge Susan B. Forsling in the State Court of Fulton County, Georgia. KSWFs legal team was led by partners Robert N. Katz and Lyn B. Dodson, which declined to accept the defendant United Services Automobile Associations pre-trial offer of $100,000.

The facts of the case were unique. According to trial testimony, KSWFs client was struck while waiting in a line of traffic on I-75 at the Howell Mill exit ramp. Two cars collided while moving in the adjacent interstate traffic lanes, causing one of those cars to hit the clients vehicle in the driver side door area. KSWFs client suffered a number of injuries, the most severe of which was a ruptured disc in the neck area of her spine. This injury resulted in her undergoing a cervical fusion, a very serious medical procedure. According to plaintiff's counsel, Robert N. Katz, the case included a number of very challenging aspects. First, although KSWFs client experienced neck pain 3 days after the accident, she did not see a medical doctor for her injuries until 3 weeks later. In addition, it was 5 months before she saw an orthopedic specialist. During that time, she trained for and ran a half-marathon. It wasnt until 2 years after the accident that an MRI showed KSWFs client had a herniated disc in her neck. Furthermore, the clients orthopedic doctor was a childhood friend of her brother, an issue that required KSWFs trial team to overcome a strong assertion of bias by the defense team.

Katz, an Atlanta injury attorney with 25 years of experience, explained the firms decision to take the case to trial as opposed to settling it. Our client was very honest, and now has a 25% permanent impairment of her whole body. We felt she deserved more than the insurance company offered, and we were prepared from the start of the case to make sure she received all the compensation she was entitled to. We approach every case in our office that way.

Note: United Services Automobile Associations Motion for New Trial was denied by the court on February 12, 2012.

About Katz Stepp Wright & Fleming LLC: Founded by former DeKalb Bar Association President Robert Katz, KSWF is nationally recognized for their strong advocacy on behalf of the injured, as well as families of wrongful death victims. With offices across the Southeastern United States, the firm is well-positioned to handle the most complex car, truck, and motorcycle accident cases, workers compensation and medical malpractice claims, and wrongful death actions.

###

Link:
Law Firm Wins $1,375,031 for Atlanta Car Accident Victim

Public release date: 28-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tara Womersley tara.womersley@ed.ac.uk 44-131-650-9836 University of Edinburgh

The quest for treatments for motor neurone disease, spinal cord injury and strokes could be helped by new research that shows how key cells are produced.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have been able to manipulate the production of motor neurones which control all muscle activity in zebrafish.

Zebrafish are important in helping scientists understand how motor neurones are produced, because unlike mammals, they are able to create new motor neurones as adults.

Humans can generate motor neurones during embryonic development but lose the ability to generate these cells, which are important for speaking, walking and breathing, after birth.

This means that the body is unable to replace these cells if they become damaged as a result of motor neurone disease, stroke or spinal cord injury.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that motor neurone production could be increased in adult zebrafish with a drug that inhibits the so-called notch-signalling pathway.

Dr Catherina Becker, from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Neuroregeneration, said: "If we can find out more about the cell mechanisms involved in zebrafish to make motor neurones, we could potentially manipulate these pathways in humans with the hope of being able to generate new motor neurones."

The research focussed on early stage cells known as progenitor cells in zebrafish, which have the ability to generate motor neurones.

Original post:
Cell study may aid bid for motor neurone therapies

When she was just three years old, Mary Alison Milford suffered a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down. A year later, with her frail physique still too small for the wheelchairs made for basketball, Mary began playing anyway. Milford watched the Olympic Games throughout her elementary and high school years, fantasizing about what it would be like to be a Paralympic athlete.

By the time she was 10; Mary had begun competing in wheelchair basketball at her elementary school, and had already set her goal of playing on the American Paralympic Team. In March of 2007 at age 19, Milford moved one-step closer to accomplishing that goal by helping to win the silver medal at the 2006 wheelchair Basketball World Championships, earning her the right to try out for the American Paralympic team. In 2007, she made the final cut along with three of her teammates.

That was just the beginning for the dedicated athlete. The following year she helped win gold in two separate world events, one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the other in Birmingham, Alabama. That same year her dream of playing in the Paralympics was realized during the 2008 Beijing Games; and America won gold for the third time that year. In 2010 and 2011, the champion kept the streak going, helping the team win gold in two more championship events.

2012 finds the 26-year-old star preparing for the upcoming London extravaganza. Now a seasoned pro and considered one of the best in her sport, Milford is excited about the upcoming competition. The American Team will be attempting to reign as the best in the world at the Paralympic Games for the third time in a row.

Mary displays the quintessential aspects of a true team player. More concerned about the team than her own stats, Milford focuses on defense and makes sure other players are free to shoot and score. Her unselfish habits on the court have made her one of the most appreciated members of the team.

Holding a degree from the University of Alabama in Spanish and public relations, Mary holds the keys to a bright future long after her basketball career has ended. Until that time arrives, we Americans are fortunate to have her on our side of the basketball court, and wish her success in London.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Continue reading here:
Olympian Mary Alison Milford is a True to Herself Athlete

24-02-2012 13:31 Spinal Cord Injury - http://www.projectwalk.org exists to provide an improved quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries through intense exercise-based recovery programs, education, support and encouragement.

See the original post:
Spinal Cord Injury - Project Walk - Video

Date: Saturday Feb. 25, 2012 8:31 AM ET

VANCOUVER — Marni Abbott-Peter has won three gold medals over years of playing basketball around the globe.

It wasn't until she got out of the game that she realized keeping her heart in good shape would feel like jumping through hoops.

The 46-year-old retired Paralympic athlete has used a wheelchair since crushing her spine in a downhill skiing accident at age 18.

She says her life, and many others with similar injuries, will be positively impacted by a $1.9 million research grant accepted on Friday by researchers to study the effects of exercise in people living with spinal cord injuries.

"I've been living with a spinal cord injury for 30 years, so for me, the spinal chord research that's based on finding a cure is not important to me now," she said in an interview after the federal health minister announced the funds in Vancouver.

"I know I'll never walk again. I want to know how I'll live a healthier, happy life."

Some 40,000 people in Canada have spinal cord injuries. Heart disease is their No. 1 killer, said Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, who will lead a team of 20 scientists, clinicians and health-care advocates in examining the best ways to shrink the number of fatalities.

The doctor is a principal investigator at the ICORD spinal injury centre, which is supported by the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health.

The five-year project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will design practical solutions for people with such injuries to improve their health.

For example, it will clinically test the impact of specific kinds of exercises, such as body weight support training on a tread mill and arm cycling. From there, the team may be able to tailor-make an exercise regime for those who are injured.

"Cardiovascular disease (is) occurring in people with spinal cord injuries at a young age and at higher rates than able-bodied individuals. It's a disaster," Krassioukov said. "There are obviously reasons for this."

Krassioukov led a major study of athletes during the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games, and as part of the new study, he will head to London for the 2012 Summer Games to conduct further research.

Over a two-week time frame, his team will meet with paralympic athletes from around the world in an attempt to probe one particularly risky practice at the behest of the International Olympic Committee.

Krassioukov said some athletes with spinal cord injuries have discovered they can boost their competitive advantage by creating a spike in their own blood pressure before getting on the field.

Because spinal cord injuries are typically accompanied by low arterial blood pressure, some athletes will drink extra water before competition and then avoid going to the toilet. The result is a jump in blood pressure, and that kicks some extra energy into their body.

The practice of inducing what's called "autonomic dysreflexia" is prohibited at the Olympics, and can be life-threatening, Krassioukov said.

People who do so can suffer a stroke, bleeding in the brain or a heart attack, and ultimately it can lead to death.

"(It's) very dangerous," Krassioukov said. "But unfortunately this is a reality in the sport."

Abbott-Peter hasn't been training on the courts for seven years now. She said that without that goal of winning and a team to support her, it's been easy to neglect her fitness.

Her energy level is not what it once was, and she has also gained weight. She said the study's aim of getting out word about the importance of exercise will be valuable for people with spinal chord injuries.

"I think people with (injuries) are going to be really surprised when they hear some of the statistics."

View original post here:
Study to probe heart health, spinal cord injury link

VANCOUVER - Marni Abbott-Peter has won three gold medals over years of playing basketball around the globe.

It wasn't until she got out of the game that she realized keeping her heart in good shape would feel like jumping through hoops.

The 46-year-old retired Paralympic athlete has used a wheelchair since crushing her spine in a downhill skiing accident at age 18.

She says her life, and many others with similar injuries, will be positively impacted by a $1.9 million research grant accepted on Friday by researchers to study the effects of exercise in people living with spinal cord injuries.

"I've been living with a spinal cord injury for 30 years, so for me, the spinal chord research that's based on finding a cure is not important to me now," she said in an interview after the federal health minister announced the funds in Vancouver.

"I know I'll never walk again. I want to know how I'll live a healthier, happy life."

Some 40,000 people in Canada have spinal cord injuries. Heart disease is their No. 1 killer, said Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, who will lead a team of 20 scientists, clinicians and health-care advocates in examining the best ways to shrink the number of fatalities.

The doctor is a principal investigator at the ICORD spinal injury centre, which is supported by the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health.

The five-year project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, will design practical solutions for people with such injuries to improve their health.

For example, it will clinically test the impact of specific kinds of exercises, such as body weight support training on a tread mill and arm cycling. From there, the team may be able to tailor-make an exercise regime for those who are injured.

"Cardiovascular disease (is) occurring in people with spinal cord injuries at a young age and at higher rates than able-bodied individuals. It's a disaster," Krassioukov said. "There are obviously reasons for this."

Krassioukov led a major study of athletes during the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games, and as part of the new study, he will head to London for the 2012 Summer Games to conduct further research.

Over a two-week time frame, his team will meet with paralympic athletes from around the world in an attempt to probe one particularly risky practice at the behest of the International Olympic Committee.

Krassioukov said some athletes with spinal cord injuries have discovered they can boost their competitive advantage by creating a spike in their own blood pressure before getting on the field.

Because spinal cord injuries are typically accompanied by low arterial blood pressure, some athletes will drink extra water before competition and then avoid going to the toilet. The result is a jump in blood pressure, and that kicks some extra energy into their body.

The practice of inducing what's called "autonomic dysreflexia" is prohibited at the Olympics, and can be life-threatening, Krassioukov said.

People who do so can suffer a stroke, bleeding in the brain or a heart attack, and ultimately it can lead to death.

"(It's) very dangerous," Krassioukov said. "But unfortunately this is a reality in the sport."

Abbott-Peter hasn't been training on the courts for seven years now. She said that without that goal of winning and a team to support her, it's been easy to neglect her fitness.

Her energy level is not what it once was, and she has also gained weight. She said the study's aim of getting out word about the importance of exercise will be valuable for people with spinal chord injuries.

"I think people with (injuries) are going to be really surprised when they hear some of the statistics."

Go here to see the original:
B.C. doctor to study heart health in people with spinal cord injuries

VANCOUVER, Feb. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced a new research project aimed at improving the cardiovascular health of people with spinal cord injuries.

The Minister was joined by Dr. Howard Feldman, Associate Dean of Research (Medicine), University of British Columbia (UBC); lead researcher Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, of the ICORD spinal cord injury research program at UBC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute; and Ms. Marni Abbott-Peter, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist in wheelchair basketball.

"Our Government understands the importance of basic exercise in promoting good health," said Minister Aglukkaq. "We are proud to make investments that will allow both patients and doctors to find innovative ways to help people with spinal cord injuries become as active as possible, and lead healthier and happier lives."

The research project, entitled "Improving cardiovascular health for Canadians living with spinal cord injury: Effects of exercise and targeted education," was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

"CIHR is pleased to support this outstanding research project," said Dr. Jean Rouleau, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health.  This research will find practical solutions that will transform the lives of Canadians living with spinal cord injuries."

The announcement was made at the ICORD program at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, located at Vancouver General Hospital

"We are extremely pleased to receive this support," said lead investigator Dr. Andrei Krassioukov.  "We have an extraordinary team of passionate clinicians and scientists working in collaboration from across the country as part of this grant. The knowledge we develop will directly translate to improving cardiovascular outcomes and the health in general of Canadians with spinal cord injury."

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 14,100 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

ICORD is a world leading health research centre focused on spinal cord injury. From the lab-based cellular level of understanding injury to rehabilitation and recovery, our researchers are dedicated to the development and translation of more effective strategies to promote prevention, functional recovery, and improved quality of life after spinal cord injury. Located at Vancouver General Hospital in the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, ICORD is supported by UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Visit http://www.icord.org.

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, a world leader in translational health research, is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. VCH Research Institute includes BC's largest academic and teaching health sciences centres: Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. The Institute is academically affiliated with UBC Faculty of Medicine and is one of Canada's top funded research centres, with $83.1 million in research funding for 2010/2011. In addition to major partnerships with national clinical trials, research networks, and industry, VCHRI co-hosts two national Centres of Excellence for Commercialization Research (CERC) and one National Centre of Excellence, and has 13 Canada Research Chairs and one Canada Excellence Research Chair. For more information visit http://www.vchri.ca.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of North America's largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world's 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization.  UBC offers more than 55,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through 7,000 grants.

Cailin Rodgers
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
613-957-0200
David Coulombe
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563
Lisa Carver
Communications
VCH Research
604-319-7533
email: lisa.carver@vch.ca

Continue reading here:
Harper Government supports research on exercise for people with spinal cord injuries

Date: Thursday Feb. 23, 2012 5:45 PM ET

Victims of spinal cord injuries who undergo surgery within 24 hours are less likely to suffer paralysis, a new study suggests.

In fact, the timing of treatment for victims of spinal cord injuries can have a significant impact on the eventual outcome of their recovery, according to multi-clinical trials undertaken by Toronto's Krembil Neuroscience Centre.

Key findings also show that a patient is twice as likely to experience a "major neurological recovery" when they have surgery within a day of their injury.

"The differences that we are seeing with early decompression surgery are very significant and the results have a major impact on a person's life," said lead author and neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Fehlings.

The importance of a quick surgery is to ease pressure on the injured spinal cord, doctors say.

In the study, half of the patients waited the usual two days for their conditions to stabilize before undergoing decompression surgery.

"We are seeing about 1 in 5 people walking away from an injury they might not have otherwise," said Fehlings.

The report was spurred by concerns that early decompression surgery on patients suffering spinal injuries could cause complications later on. The traditional wisdom among some practitioners was to avoid too much surgery too soon.

But with improved technology like MRIs, better surgical tools and refined techniques, the study's authors say that a "new standard of care for patients" is on the horizon.

"Since timing is such an important factor for treating spinal cord injuries, we need to ensure that patients can get timely access to neurosurgical care," said Fehlings.

"This could mean the creation of neurosurgical centres of excellence, similar to stroke centres in Ontario."

For patients like Glen Williams, the study's findings have proved to be life-changing.

Four years ago, Williams slipped on a patch of ice and broke his neck. Once he realized he was paralyzed, he feared he would never walk again.

"It was the scariest day of my life," he said.

While Williams knew that he was in for the fight of his life if he hoped to regain mobility, he quickly signed up to be part of the study probing the timeliness of spinal surgery.

Today, he is mobile, and he traces his good fortune to the surgery.

"I am part of the evidence that it does work," he said.

According to the study's authors, between 1,500 and 1,700 Canadians suffer spinal cord injuries each year.

The Rick Hansen Foundation notes that such injuries cost the health care system $3 billion annually.

With a report from CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip

Go here to read the rest:
Surgery most effective within 24 hrs of spinal injury

Setting their wheelchairs aside, three quadriplegics each got on their feet one morning this week and moved parts of their bodies medical professionals had all but given up on.

A former high-school-football player — who suffered a spinal-cord injury in a tackle two years ago during the final game of his senior year — worked out on an elliptical machine. A 29-year-old mother rear-ended at a red light 12 years ago took strides on a treadmill.

And a former insurance executive — the visionary behind the novel recovery center in Longwood — stood balanced against a metal frame, his thigh muscles quivering and firing as they worked to get stronger.

All were gaining strength and hope at CORE, the Center of Recovery and Exercise. The new 3,200-square-foot facility officially opens today, although it has been slowly rolling out services since November.

"I feel 5-foot-10 again — instead of 3 feet," said CORE founder Matthew Davies, paralyzed by a 2005 auto accident on Interstate 4 near Daytona Beach.

The tragedy stunned the community, in which Davies wore many hats, including that of president for UnitedHealthcare of Central and North Florida. He was equally well-known for his volunteer efforts with groups working to improve access to health care.

Making muscles fire

In April, as he began a neurorecovery program in a Sanford center with exercise physiologist Malerie Murphy, Davies stood for the first time since his accident.

"When I first saw him, he couldn't hold his core straight and barely had enough energy to speak," said Murphy, now CORE's senior trainer. The fact that he is upright is the result of new — but not yet widely embraced — advancements in neurorecovery.

Since Davies started the exercise training 10 months ago, his lung function has gone from 50 percent to 70 percent.

"I have energy again," said Davies, who trains two hours a day, four times a week.

Much of the exercise-based approach to recovery comes from the Christopher Reeves Foundation, named for the "Superman" actor who suffered a spinal-cord injury after a horseback-riding accident.

The latest technology, including electrical stimulation that helps retrain arm and leg muscles to fire correctly, has helped paralyzed patients gain independence, and, in some cases, walk again. One of their formerly wheelchair-bound clients now walks with a cane.

"My whole purpose is to help people who have had spinal-cord accidents regain independence by regaining muscle and movement," said Davies, 50.

'Watched my body degenerate'

"It's daunting when you're told at 17 that your life span will be greatly reduced because of your spinal-cord injury," said Dana Guest, a quadriplegic who drove herself from Tampa three times a week for treatments with Murphy before moving to Longwood in December 2010.

"I could see why. I watched my muscles wither and my body degenerate," said the former basketball player.

Those stranded in wheelchairs suffer many secondary health conditions, including problems with circulation, osteoporosis, weight gain, lung function, digestion and pressure sores from sitting all the time. All those problems improve when patients get up and move.

Reeves died of an infection that resulted from a pressure sore.

Read more:
New center gets those with spinal-cord injury on their feet

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press

23/02/2012 4:48 PM | Comments: 0

TORONTO - Getting people who suffer an upper spinal cord injury into the operating room for decompression surgery sooner rather than later can have a significant payoff, even reducing the likelihood of permanent paralysis for some patients, researchers say.

A Canadian-U.S. study of patients with trauma to the cervical spinal cord found that those who had surgery within 24 hours of the injury had twice the chance of a much improved neurological recovery compared to those who had to wait longer for their operation.

The cervical spinal cord is encased in seven bony vertebrae that begin at the nape of the neck. Immediately below are the thoracic vertebrae, followed by those in the lumbar region that end in the tail bone.

The study focused on trauma to the cervical spine, the area which accounts for 30 per cent of all spinal cord injuries and can lead to a person becoming a quadriplegic.

"These are patients who have a very severe injury of the spinal cord," said Toronto neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Fehlings, who led the study.

Traumas that cause upper spinal cord injury often occur from falls, sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents, said Fehlings, medical director of the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital.

"In most cases, there is a fracture of the cervical spine that results in either a dislocation of the vertebrae or a crush of one of the vertebra," he said. "Or in some cases, patients who have pre-existing narrowing of the spinal canal due to degenerative disc disease or arthritis can have blunt trauma injury to the cord without an actual fracture."

In the study of 313 patients with cervical spinal cord injury, published online Thursday in the journal PLoS ONE, almost 20 per cent of those who had decompression surgery on their spines within 24 hours showed marked improvement in function compared to less than nine per cent of those who had surgery later.

The operation involves releasing the pressure on the injured spinal cord and then stabilizing it.

“The differences that we are seeing with early decompression surgery are very significant and the results have a major impact on a person’s life,” said Fehlings. In rare cases, and depending on the severity of the injury, a patient who otherwise would likely have been paralyzed was able to walk.

"The timing for a spinal cord injury matters. In other words, it's like a stroke or a heart attack. Both stroke and heart attack (are) medical emergencies ... The same is true for spinal cord injury."

Fehlings said regional centres that specialize in traumatic spinal cord injuries should be created across Canada with the aim of providing patients, who may need to be transported from remote areas, more timely access to surgery.

Read the original here:
Timing matters for spinal cord injury, surgery sooner improves outcome: study

02-01-2012 18:36 Spinal cord injury treatment. http://www.projectwalk.org exists to provide an improved quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries through intense exercise-based recovery programs, education, support and encouragement.

See the article here:
"Joe Guintu", "Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery" - Video

11-02-2012 20:40 Filling the gap in spinal cord injury recovery treatment Often patients care is based on compensatory strategies and the training provided is to get the patient and family members taught to care for the patient after discharge from the hospital in the fastest manner possible. For example, traditional acute therapy programs help patients become as independent "as possible" before insurance or funding runs out. Many patients with a high spinal cord injury are discharged within weeks of their injury. Neurological injuries and disorders take time to attain maximum function and regain lost abilities. In traditional outpatient physical therapy programs, facilities often based services on the patient's insurance benefits. Due to the slow return on treatment for neurological disorders and injuries, outpatient therapy programs are often pushed by insurance companies to terminate services because funding will not be provided for slow gains in progress. Available insurance benefits, however, have no correlation to a patient's ability to improve. As insurance and medical benefits become exhausted, many outpatient therapists are referring their patients to training facilities like Neuroxcel® that offer comprehensive, activity-based strength training with state-of-the-art gait strengthening equipment and modalities.

Continued here:
Filling the gap in spinal cord injury recovery treatment - Video

Not long after they got married, Ed and Karen Matayka, both medics in the Vermont National Guard, were deployed to the Middle East.

"We honeymooned in Kuwait," Karen, 32, says. "They say the first year of marriage is the hardest. I don't know, is it harder or easier in a combat zone?"

Now the couple is facing a different kind of battle.

They're celebrating Valentine's Day not at home but in San Antonio, where Ed is undergoing therapy at San Antonio Military Medical Center after he sustained life-threatening injuries in Afghanistan.

He has been learning how to walk on prosthetics after both his legs were amputated above the knee. Complicating the process are a spinal cord injury, head injury and weakness on his left side resulting from a stroke.

Doctors once predicted he wouldn't survive. He owes his tremendous progress, he says, to Karen.

Without her devotion and support, "I think I would still be sitting in a hospital bed," Ed, 34, says. "I was motivated to quit feeling sorry for myself and get better."

Karen and Ed married in summer 2004. After a 14-month deployment working security in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, they settled in New Hampshire, bought a house and contemplated starting a family.

Then came another deployment. They left for Afghanistan in March 2010.

At first, they loved it, says Karen, who interacted with the locals, went hiking and bought local food and garments.

Then, on July 2, Ed was riding in a military vehicle when an IED exploded.

"I don't remember it at all," he says.

Karen was awakened at 5 a.m. She immediately suspected what had happened.

"It was a gut instinct," she says.

The doctors told her Ed wouldn't make it 24 hours.

"Everyone else who's had these injuries passed away," Karen says. "He broke every lumbar vertebrae, broken jaw, liver laceration, kidney bleed, bruised lung, stroke, amputation. His liver failed."

Ed was in a coma for five weeks. As he was transported first to Germany, then to the U.S., Karen wrote him letters, talked to him, played music for him, rubbed his head, held his hand.

"He would actually respond to me," Karen says. "He'd answer questions by squeezing my hand. The doctors and nurses were shocked that when I would enter the room, his blood pressure would go down, his heart rate would go down, his respiratory rate would go down."

Despite predictions, Ed eventually woke from the coma and began recovering from his injuries. After bouncing around to several hospitals across the country, the Mataykas came to San Antonio in 2011.

When Ed became an outpatient, Karen took over her husband's daily care. She had to dress him, help him shower, shave him, prepare his meals, cut his meat and give him his medications.

He's slowly becoming more independent, but she still helps him dress - it's faster - and helps him in the bathroom.

They live in a small room in one of the Fisher Houses at Fort Sam Houston, a home for wounded warriors and their families.

In addition to Ed's hours of daily therapy, they take classes, such as cooking or crafts, at the Warrior Family Support Center on base.

They're also working on having children (he originally wanted six; she's talked him down to two or three). Because of Ed's injuries, they're relying on in-vitro fertilization.

The Mataykas know how often couples split after one spouse is injured in war; they've seen it happen.

"Either the relationship wasn't good to begin with and the spouse stays out of guilt and they become resentful and it blows up," Karen says, "or the spouse feels bad so then they don't express their feelings, they get bottled up, and things go sour from there."

But Karen and Ed aren't afraid to let each other know when they're frustrated or irritated.

"We still fight just as bad as ever," Ed says.

They also tease each other - a lot.

"I wear sandals everywhere," Karen says. "I'll say, 'Man, my toes are cold. How are yours, Ed?' I'm sure there are people who are out there who go, 'My God, she's a horrible wife.' But that's how we cope with it. We laugh a lot."

jbelasco@express-news.net

Read more:
Wife's love gets fellow veteran through near-fatal war injuries

20-02-2012 07:56 Watch as rehablab investigators work with spinal cord injured individuals to improve walking.

The rest is here:
Rehablab - Spinal cord injury - Video

A bill to create a trust fund to support charitable clinics serving brain and spinal cord injury patients won committee approval on Wednesday.

The fund would be overseen by a five-member board including lawmakers and a senior health official. It would be built with private donations and fees tacked onto moving violations, such as tickets for speeding and DUIs. HB400 also leaves open the possibility of legislative funding, but contains no fiscal note for this year.

“That’s because I intend to prove it’s a cost-effective way to treat this population,” said sponsor Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns.

Seven states have similar trusts, but most use the money for research and wheelchairs for the uninsured or underinsured. Hutchings wants the money to go to physical rehabilitation techniques proven to help patients regain mobility and independence.

Physical therapy isn’t well covered by most insurance plans, but it can make the difference between someone walking and working again or winding up disabled and on public aid, he said.

Rep. Bradley Daw, R-Orem, voiced concern about taxing drivers whose habits may, or may not, cause accidents in which people are seriously injured. The bill gives the trust’s board of directors and Utah Judicial Council broad discretion on who to fine and how much.

“I love this bill, except for the fee part,” said Daw, one of two no votes. “With some changes I’m glad to change that to an enthusiastic yes.”

Original post:
Bill to create trust for spinal cord, brain injury victims advances

14-02-2012 12:43 John Peterson was in a serious snowboarding accident which caused his neck to break and as a result lost functionality of most motor skills. Learn from Johns amazing attitude and hear how the Christensen Law Firm was able to help John through his spinal cord injury.

View post:
Spinal Cord Injury - John Peterson Testimonial - Video

Newswise — Loss of bone density leads to brittle bones that fracture easily. It is a major complication of spinal cord injury (SCI), which affects about 250,000 Americans every year.

A new clinical trial conducted by University of Iowa researchers shows that delivering high doses of "load," or stress, to bone through programmed electrical stimulation of the muscle significantly slows the loss of bone density in patients with SCI.

The focus on quantifying the effective dose of load is one of the study's most important aspects, says Richard Shields, P.T., Ph.D., a professor and director of the UI Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Graduate Programs. The study also is the first to carefully test the impact of different doses of load in humans with paralysis.

Previous research had suggested that stressing or loading bone through muscle contractions could slow the loss of bone density, but results from clinical trials have been mixed.

"Thirty years ago a clinical trial concluded that putting patients with SCI in an upright weight-bearing position with braces or standing frames did nothing to prevent loss of bone density," Shields says. "The novelty of our study is we have designed a method for individuals with paralysis to stand (bear weight) while superimposing a dose of muscle force using programmed electrical stimulation of the muscle."

The study findings, published in the journal Osteoporosis International in December 2011, reveal that only high "doses" of muscle force are effective for significantly reducing bone loss.

"The previous studies, without muscle activation, were like doing a drug trial where the dose of drug was too low, or below 'therapeutic threshold,' to cause an effect," Shields explains.

The UI researchers have also recently shown that the electrical stimulation strengthens muscle by activating genes that promote muscle growth and endurance, and improve glucose metabolism.

Testing doses of load

The clinical trial developed by Shields and his team is based on biomechanical modeling and information from bone biology studies that show that bone cells, called osteoblasts, produce new bone only when the load is high enough.

The study compared the effect of "high dose" loads of 150 percent of body weight (induced by electrically stimulating the quadriceps muscle in one leg while the patient was supported in a standing position) with "low dose" load of 40 percent body weight (assisted standing with no electrical stimulation) and "no dose" loads of 0 percent body weight (sitting). Participants were asked to perform their training five times per week for three years and had their bone mineral density and muscle strength tested several times over the study period.

"When we applied a load of 1.5 times their body weight using electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscle we saw a significant impact on the bone density as well as the expected growth of the skeletal muscle," says Shields.

Specifically, the study found that after three years, average bone density in the femur was almost 40 percent lower in patients who received low dose or no dose load compared to patients who received high dose. The study also showed that high dose load slows the deterioration of the trabecular bone -- the type of bone found at the joint ends of long bones where fractures most often occur.

"Keeping 40 percent of the bone material in the bone should translate into improved overall health along several dimensions, including reducing the risk of fracture, as well as reducing other common complications stemming from SCI, like kidney stones and diabetes," says Shields.

A unique feature of the study was that patients in the high dose group only received muscle stimulation on one leg. This meant that the patients' non-treated leg provided a "within subject" control that clearly contrasted the effect of high dose compared to low dose when all other factors were the same.

Usability key for translating study findings to therapy

Shields notes that for any treatment regimen to be truly useful for patients, it must be something that a patient can easily incorporate in his or her daily life. The study suggested that participants found it fairly easy to stick with the training program. In addition, six of the seven participants on the high-dose protocol were able to participate from home using a specially modified wheelchair that raised them to a standing position and custom-designed stimulators that automatically logged the participant's training.

"It is much harder to make brittle bones strong again. So in a situation where we know that loss of bone density will occur, like SCI, we need an intervention that prevents or at least slows down the loss of bone density," Shields says. "This study provides evidence that there is a mechanical dose of load through muscle force that the skeleton can respond to that has an effect."

The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, and the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

In addition to Shields, the study team included Shauna Dudley-Javoroski, P.T., Ph.D., Shih-Chiao Tseng, P.T., Ph.D., Punam Saha, Ph.D., Manish Suneja, M.D., Chris Adams, M.D., Ph.D., Andy Littmann, P.T., Elizabeth Faidley, Michael Petrie, Brandon Campbell, Zhiyun Gao, and Colleen McHenry.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa Health Care Media Relations, 200 Hawkins Drive, Room W319 GH, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1009

Comment/Share

Read the original here:
High Doses of Load Slows Bone Loss in Spinal Cord Injury

14-02-2012 10:17

Visit link:
Skin Care after Spinal Cord Injury Treating Pressure Ulcers - Video