UC PhD student doing world first research on spinal cord injuries

September 27, 2012

A University of Canterbury (UC) PhD student is carrying out world first research on spinal cord injuries using the Feldenkrais method to provide people the chance to recover movement and stability.

In the 1940s, Israeli physicist Dr Moshe Feldenkrais combined his knowledge of martial arts, biomechanics, neurophysiology, anatomy, learning theory, child development, systems theory, physics and psychology to develop the Feldenkrais Method, a form of sensory motor education.

Research has provided evidence of benefits including reduced pain, fatigue, stress and medical costs; and improved mobility, stability, coordination and breathing. However there has been no research done with spinal cord injury.

UC PhD student Cindy Allison was drawn to the Feldenkrais method because of her own pain and loss of movement and sensation. For her PhD she is developing the first Feldenkrais programme in the world for people with spinal cord injury and is currently looking for participants.

``Rather than isolating muscles and working hard in an attempt to restore movement, Feldenkrais encourages expanding body awareness, and paying attention to the quality of movement and the effect that the movement has on the coordination of the whole body.

``You stay within your comfort zone; it is process oriented and fun. The focus is also on learning how to learn. Clients grow to understand biomechanics and learning principles, they are eventually able to improve their movement independently of the practitioner.

``I was so impressed with the method that I began researching its potential for people with spinal cord injury. Some of the worlds top neuroscientists advocate the method. I have people around the world with spinal cord injury discovering significant improvement using Feldenkrais principles despite negative prognoses.

Kevin Hitchcock, a former director of news and Channel Ten in Sydney was told he would be paralysed from the neck down for the rest of his life, she said.

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UC student doing world first research on spinal cord injury

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