There have been many breakthroughs in treatment and care over the last 25 years, and even more improvements in accessibility. But there’s still a long way to go

On a warm summer night in 1978 , Robb Dunfield and two friends climbed up into a house under construction near Jericho Beach to get a better view of the pillowy tall ships floating in the harbour.

They stepped out onto a balcony where the railing had not yet been built. Instead, there was merely a board tapped into place with a nail at either end.

It gave way quickly and Dunfield, then an athletic 19-year-old with a zest for adventure, plunged 30 feet into the darkness. Down, down he went, crashing into an abyss. In those few moments, his life changed irrevocably. Continue Reading »

Ramps are typically built in order to improve home accessibility for people who can’t use stairs or need a gentler, less stressful way to enter or leave their home. A successful home accessibility project requires careful planning in order to be certain that the ramp meets the home occupant’s needs, complies with local building requirements, is safe and sturdy, and is safe for use in all types of weather.

Consider the following before you begin the design and construction of a wheelchair ramp. Questions such as:

• Who’s the primary user?
• What type of assistive device does the person use (cane, crutches, walker, manual or electric wheelchair)
• Will the person’s abilities change?
• What are the local zoning requirements?

These are just a few of the questions that must be addressed before you begin your project. The following information should guide you in this process. Continue Reading »

Many doctors still don’t adequately explain the anatomy of the spine, the reasons for a patient’s pain and the anticipated treatment plan. Here we will discuss the intricacies of spinal injuries and how a skilled personal injury attorney can help.

FISHKILL, NY, February 06, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ — How is a spine injury patient supposed to make an informed decision about his/her medical care if they don’t understand the basics about the spine? The problem isn’t as bad as it was a few decades ago, but many doctors still don’t adequately explain the anatomy of the spine, the reasons for a patient’s pain and the anticipated treatment plan when a patient goes to an orthopedist or neurosurgeon. Continue Reading »

Scientists develop new methods for the study of spinal cord injury After spinal cord injury nerve fibers do not regenerate by themselves; loss of neuronal function up to complete paralysis is the consequence. When investigating new potential therapies, scientists are often confronted with an experimental problem: Neurons are embedded deep into the tissue of the spinal cord and thus difficult to access with microscopy methods. Scientists around Professor Frank Bradke, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), have now met this experimental challenge with the development of a new technology. Continue Reading »

An extraordinary college essay written by Gabrielle Schneiderman about the day of her brother’s car accident and the emotional response their family had to it.

One could not avoid the playful yellow words hanging encouragingly on the classroom wall even if he or she tried. They reminded me that “today is a great day to learn something new.” Routinely, my math teacher wrote her notes in multiple colors, supposedly helpful in stimulating our desire to learn. Beneath my notebook, which was so stark white it appeared to crave my pen’s ink, was my tenth grade Algebra 2 textbook, carefully written to prepare me for any problem I would face on the final exam. Everything was in its proper place, just awaiting its signal to help me succeed. Continue Reading »

Spinal cord injuries change lives forever. If you or someone you love suffer from paralysis, quadriplegia, a spinal disorder, or another type of spinal cord injury, you know it can compromise your independence, as well as your financial health.

Medical expenses from hospital stays, long-term rehabilitation, and devices to adapt to living at home add up quickly. If you can’t work due to your injury, it may seem impossible to make ends meet.

There is an option. You may be eligible for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. Continue Reading »

On June 17, 2000 Dana Guest’s life was forever changed when she was involved in a car accident and sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury. The then 17 year old was rendered a quadriplegic and the challenges of life after a catastrophic injury became her reality.

Soon after the injury, Guest and her family realized how difficult it was to have all of their questions answered. Medical providers didn’t want to give false hope, case workers were overloaded and government resources were scarce.

“Sadly, we aren’t the only ones who have been through this. Throughout this eleven year journey, I have met many families who face the same issues,” said Guest. Continue Reading »

As a younger man, Jake Lawless would tell friends that if they had a car accident with him as a passenger, they had better kill him because he couldn’t bear to live his life in a wheelchair.

Then at 24, he fell off a roof and landed on his head. The injury left him a high functioning quadriplegic.

“My injury was my worst nightmare come true,” says Lawless, 38.

Lawless knew physical activity was the key to his recovery. He credits an intensive rehabilitation routine with helping him deal with his disability and learn to walk again, a skill he lost again after another accident destroyed his knee. Continue Reading »

A spinal cord injury affects the entire family.  For families who are dealing with a new spinal cord injury, there is often a sense of isolation that affects them as well as the patient.  Their world has also been suddenly and drastically changed in ways that it’s hard for anyone outside to really understand.

Now, there’s a new website, called FacingDisability.com, that uses the power of video to help families connect with the real-life experience of others who have “been there” and “done that.”  The website has more than 1,000 videos of people with spinal cord injuries and their parents, spouses, siblings and children talking about what they know and have learned from their own experiences. Continue Reading »

Imagine that you are driving home from work today when you are involved in a head on collision with an SUV. Life Lion flies you to the hospital. When you awake in the Emergency Department, you notice that you cannot feel your legs. Your doctor tells you that you may not able to walk. You also eventually realize that you cannot urinate or defecate voluntarily.

This is an all too familiar scenario for many people within the United States. Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of spinal cord injury (SCI). Approximately, 10,000 people in the U.S. will suffer a new SCI this year, and approximately 250,000 people in the U.S. are living with SCI. Continue Reading »