A robotic leg prosthesis controlled entirely by brain waves could be a game changer for victims of spinal cord injury

With the Paralympics in full swing in London this week, it’s interesting to see the extraordinary advances being made in prosthetic limb technology.

Today, An Do at the Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center in California and a few pals say they’ve built and tested a prosthetic lower limb that can be controlled in real time by EEG (electroencephalogram) signals fed into a computer. Continue Reading »

The Paralympics event wheelchair rugby may be as tactical as chess, but it’s rather more brutal to play

There is such an almighty clanging, thunking, whirring and shouting that if I didn’t know better I might be tempted to call the police.

I am sitting in a wheelchair. Powering towards me on what looks like a glorified shopping trolley with enormous metal hub caps for wheels is a man with a red Mohican and shoulders like an ox. Considering that Neville Burrell has already told me, with great enthusiasm, “We can’t hit each other. But we can smash the —- out of each other’s chairs. The ideal thing is to half-break one. That’s my favourite part of the sport,” I am very glad that we are on the same side. Continue Reading »

The Journal of Neurosurgery (JNS) Publishing Group is proud to announce publication of the NACTN/AOSNA Focus Issue on Spinal Cord Injury, a supplement to the September issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, which is sponsored by AOSpine North America available in print and online.

The online version of the supplement is available free to the public. The focus of this special supplement, which was spearheaded by Dr. Michael Fehlings, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto and Medical Director of the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at the Toronto Western Hospital, is the development of cutting-edge translational research in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), an often devastating injury that affects 2.5 million people worldwide, many of whom are first faced with it in early adulthood. The topic is addressed in a variety of forms in 17 articles and several editorials. Continue Reading »

NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — United Spinal Association’s membership division, National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), will host two free webinars this September for people living with disabilities and their caregivers that will focus on ways to discover a healthy & active lifestyle and how to overcome the challenges of chronic health issues such as spinal cord injury (SCI), MS, polio, ALS or spina bifida.

“For people living with disabilities and their caregivers, the challenges of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle can be overwhelming at times. But with the right strategy and outlook, it’s within everyone’s reach. These webinars will build a foundation for many to discover better health, as well as happiness and success,” said Marlene Perkins, VP of Corporate and Community Relations at United Spinal. Continue Reading »

AB 1657, which would devote $1 from certain traffic tickets to fund spinal cord injury research, is well-meaning but misguided. If the state is going to increase traffic fines, the revenue should pay for underfunded basic services.

Who would be so cruel, so selfish, as to deny money for spinal cord injury research? Unless you wish further harm to people who are paralyzed or otherwise disabled by spinal injury, certainly you want Californians to open up their wallets to fund studies, right? Continue Reading »

CHAMPION – Amber Hogue felt her neck snap, and the mother of six immediately started praying.

The 31-year-old woman said her head slumped forward into her lap, and she couldn’t feel anything from the neck down. Her first thought was that she was paralyzed. Next, she thought about her children.

“I started praying nonstop,” she said. “It really freaked me out. I don’t know how else to describe it. I kept thinking that I might never walk again. I’m suppose to take care of the kids. They’re not suppose to take care of me.” Continue Reading »

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27. 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The best and the brightest minds in spinal cord injury medicine will convene this week for Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Summit 2012 to discuss the latest breakthroughs and treatments in spinal cord injury medicine. Renowned clinicians like Dr. Stephen Waxman and Dr. Jeffrey Kocsis from Yale, will cover topics such as the molecular revolution, technological advances and solutions to key parts of the multiple sclerosis (MS) puzzle. Experts in the field will also discuss how close we are to breakthroughs in this vitally important—yet often overlooked—area of medicine and health care. Continue Reading »

The international multi-sport competition for athletes with disabilities hits London on August 29.

On a September day in Afghanistan last year, Lt. Brad Snyder was running to help a group of fellow servicemen who had been struck by an improvised explosive device.

As he ran, a second IED buried in the dirt exploded — and Snyder ended up losing the sight in both of his eyes.

Exactly a year later, on Sept. 7, Snyder will compete for a gold medal in the London Paralympic Games, an international celebration of athleticism for people with physical disabilities. Continue Reading »

Passport, euros, sunglasses, wheelchair … people with disabilities here tell their inspiring travel stories

IBIZA STAG PARTY

Tom Nabarro, centre, on his stag party in Ibiza

This summer I flew to Ibiza for 10 days for my stag party with a load of mates. Following a snowboarding accident, I am a C4 tetraplegic – I have no control of my arms or legs and very little stability in my torso, so I rely on my head-controlled power wheelchair and assistance from others. Continue Reading »

Live it! Love it! Foundation hosts adventure camp in Whistler

“Just because some people can’t walk, doesn’t mean they can’t paraglide,” said Josh Dueck, board member and peer mentor for the Live it! Love it! Foundation.

That’s the kind of mentality and energy behind the organization’s Freewheel Whistler Adaptive Adventure Camp that took place over the past week. Continue Reading »