Spinal injury
A doctor whose work has paved the way for the future of ‘mega data’ research into Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) and its impact on patients’ lives has spoken of the importance of creating a more standardised approach to evidence-gathering.
Cauda Equina Syndrome can have a life-changing impact physically and mentally, with sexual function being a common problem for many people. Psychosexual therapist Michelle Donald discusses how CES patients can rediscover their intimate life
“This is a different life and we need help to live it”
Healthcare professionals and patients will unite next week at a first-of-its-kind event to help raise awareness of the life-changing impact of Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES).
The inaugural CES Festival and Conference will run from Monday to Friday next week, culminating in International CES Awareness Day on October 1.
With a global reputation for its work in brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation, Craig Hospital has delivered life-changing outcomes for thousands of patients for 65 years. Deborah Johnson meets Jandel Allen-Davis, CEO of the pioneering US hospital, to learn more about its work
A new CEO has been announced by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to help advance its efforts to find a cure for spinal cord injury even further.
New research has identified novel cell types and RNA signals that may assist with brain and spinal cord repair.
US medtech firm Boston Scientific has announced the European launch of a pioneering therapy for spinal cord stimulation (SCS).
Medication is not as effective as physical therapeutic interventions after spinal cord injury, researchers have found, with promising approaches to alleviate symptoms of spasticity also being identified.
A team of researchers representing six Spinal Cord Injury Model System Centers across the United States found that the lived experiences of people with spasticity after spinal cord injury were complex and multidimensional, but certain commonalities - such as stiffness, rather than spasms, as the most problematic characteristic - can inform further studies to identify effective treatments. The research “Characterizing the Experience of Spasticity after Spinal Cord Injury: A National Survey Project of the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers” brings together leading experts in the field from across the United States and the world. Chronic spasticity - characterised by uncontrolled tightening or contracting of muscles - affects most people with spinal cord injury. Its effects range from restricting ability to perform daily activities and pain to negative self-image, and anti-spasmodic medications are often prescribed to mitigate symptoms. However, data was lacking regarding the lived experience of people with spasticity and the value of medication as a management strategy. To better address this common secondary condition, researchers and clinicians needed more information.
A mother and son team who have devised a pioneering standing wheelchair are looking to partner with a manufacturer to bring their prototype to fruition.
The Walking Wheelchair enables people with limited use of their legs to assume a standing position, using a saddle therapy seat and Segway-style wheelbase. Its design, which is aimed at people living with conditions including Muscular Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Motor Neurone Disease and spinal injury (L1-5), is protected by patent and has already won awards for its innovative design. It differs from what is already available through its saddle seat lifting the user’s weight vertically to standing, rather than a conventional seat which tips, and has a gyroscope to balance the standing weight instead of a counterweight. It also has a two wheel wheelbase with a tight turning circle rather than the standard six-wheel base.
