Christopher Reeve to Co-Deliver Middlebury College Commencement Address With Wife, Alumna Dana Morosini Reeve May 23; Honorary Degree Recipients Include Meryl Streep, Kenneth Feinberg, Paul Muldoon Continue Reading »

fine the “acute” phase of spinal cord injury as the period during which damage may be continuing.

“Subacute” is when the spinal cord is beginning to resolve the damage and starting repair. There is then a period of recovery that may take years. At the end of that period, when recovery has stabilized and the condition is stable, I would use the descriptor “chronic” spinal cord injury. Continue Reading »

After watching a quadriplegic man compete at a water skiing event several years ago, Tim Giroux of Flint knew there were very few limits to what he could do.

“That was the big event for me that opened my eyes,” said Giroux, who has a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair. “I realized I can still do just about anything I really want to.” Continue Reading »

Marshalltown Community College head baseball coach Kevin Benzing said it was the worst athletic injury he had ever seen in his experience as player and coach.

He struggled emotionally describing the sound and the sight of it. Continue Reading »

Yankton Doctor Overcomes Potentially Fatal Car Accident Injuries

Dr. Don Swift of Yankton is a survivor, but you won’t see him on the popular reality shows. He survived a near fatal car crash near O’Neill, Neb., last November. Continue Reading »

The spinal cord is seldom cut by injury unless the injury is due to a bullet or knife. In most cases, the spinal cord is compressed either slowly or rapidly by bone or disc displaced against the spinal cord. The extent and cause of damage depend on the speed of compression. Slow and prolonged pressure damages the spinal cord by blocking blood flow to the cord.

Spinal cord white matter is generally more resistant to ischemia (loss of blood flow) than brain. Continue Reading »

By Karen Pihl-Carey
It was a mixed day for Acorda Therapeutics Inc., which said Fampridine-SR missed its endpoints in two pivotal Phase III trials in spinal cord injury (SCI), but also said the drug showed positive trends in a Phase II Multiple Sclerosis (MS) trial. Continue Reading »

New Devices Operate on the Power of Thought Alone, Testing Beginning in Humans

April 15, 2004 — It may sound like science fiction, but brain implants that generate action based on the power of human thought are about to become reality. This week the FDA approved the first clinical trial of such a device in paralyzed people. Continue Reading »

In 1981, a benefit for injured USC swimming star Mike Nyeholt turned into an annual event for athletes.

As they were getting ready to leave the beach, he wanted to take a final dip into the ocean. Waist-deep in the water, he dove in and suddenly felt as if he had been punched in the face. He tried to stand, but nothing happened. Continue Reading »

WASHINGTON, Apr 14, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), a national veterans’ service and Disability rights organization, in recognizing the accessibility of the redevelopment plans for Lower Manhattan, is proud to announce that Fredric Bell, FAIA, will be the recipient of the 2004 Barrier-Free America Award. PVA introduced the Barrier-Free America Award in 2001 to recognize individual leadership in making America more accessible for all Americans. Continue Reading »