Thursday, June 21, 2018
Friday, June 15, 2018
Five Years Today
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Video Update: Porch Swing
A new first this month: back to moving a porch swing without help. It’s hard not to let your body compensate with other muscles, but this is definite progress.
It is also another reminder that almost anything can be used for careful and creative physical therapy. I sometimes think that I have used just about every type of home device or activity for rehabilitation - including the kitchen sink (literally). Trying the porch swing was inevitable.
It is also another reminder that almost anything can be used for careful and creative physical therapy. I sometimes think that I have used just about every type of home device or activity for rehabilitation - including the kitchen sink (literally). Trying the porch swing was inevitable.
Monday, June 4, 2018
About the Spinal Cord
Most people have a basic idea of what the spinal cord is, but it is not uncommon for them to ask more about it. Your spinal cord is about a foot and a half long and runs down the center of your backbone. Protected by bone and tissue, it carries nerve signals for reflexes and movement. Injuries to the spinal cord occur in any of the four main regions of the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral.
Cervical segments of the spine control your head through your hands. The thoracic region covers the bulk of the upper body, ranging from the upper to lower back. Chest and abdominal muscles are included in this area. Lumbar nerves control hip flexors, quadriceps, and other key muscles of the lower back and legs, extending all the way down into the toes. Sacral nerves reach down the back of your legs into your heels and feet.
In short, the spinal cord is an integral part of your nervous system. When it is damaged, bruised, or disconnected, there are serious consequences for your body. Injuries can affect or impair the performance of any nervous function at or below the injury site. Enabling mobility is only one task of the spinal cord. Your body relies on your spinal cord for healthy internal functions and responses.
Still curious? See more on spinal cord anatomy here.
Cervical segments of the spine control your head through your hands. The thoracic region covers the bulk of the upper body, ranging from the upper to lower back. Chest and abdominal muscles are included in this area. Lumbar nerves control hip flexors, quadriceps, and other key muscles of the lower back and legs, extending all the way down into the toes. Sacral nerves reach down the back of your legs into your heels and feet.
In short, the spinal cord is an integral part of your nervous system. When it is damaged, bruised, or disconnected, there are serious consequences for your body. Injuries can affect or impair the performance of any nervous function at or below the injury site. Enabling mobility is only one task of the spinal cord. Your body relies on your spinal cord for healthy internal functions and responses.
Still curious? See more on spinal cord anatomy here.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
HAL in 2018
Assistive devices have been gaining a lot of ground recently - literally, in some cases. HAL, a “hybrid assistive limb” developed by the Japanese company Cyberdyne, is one of the latest of these devices. However, HAL is a bit different from most robotic legs. Instead of walking for you, it relies on your brain to do the work. HAL is designed to respond to the wearer’s intended motion. This means that when you think about wanting to walk, sensors connected to HAL detect signals sent from your brain to the muscles that are trying to help you take steps. When the robotic legs walk with you as your brain sends the signals, the correct signals for your own walking are reinforced (see a visual at Cyberdyne's website here).
This is a way of taking bio-feedback to a practical level. Part of the challenge in recovering from spinal cord injuries is retracing neural pathways. The brain needs to be guided back to finding the correct responses. In other words, when you see your limb moving as you are commanding it to move, your brain comes closer to detecting what signals actually make that movement happen.
HAL has just recently been tested in the United States. It was approved for use by the FDA in December 2017. Swedish Medical Center in Seattle is the first place to try HAL, and users there have seen good results so far. The trend is likely to continue. The more this type of technology becomes available, the more potential for neurological improvement and recovery after SCIs.
This is a way of taking bio-feedback to a practical level. Part of the challenge in recovering from spinal cord injuries is retracing neural pathways. The brain needs to be guided back to finding the correct responses. In other words, when you see your limb moving as you are commanding it to move, your brain comes closer to detecting what signals actually make that movement happen.
HAL has just recently been tested in the United States. It was approved for use by the FDA in December 2017. Swedish Medical Center in Seattle is the first place to try HAL, and users there have seen good results so far. The trend is likely to continue. The more this type of technology becomes available, the more potential for neurological improvement and recovery after SCIs.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Graduation Note
A short note of congratulations to graduates Ty Williams and Greg Murphy! Each one has a spinal cord injury but used leg braces to walk across the stage for his diploma. Much harder than it looks.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
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