Activity Based Therapies

John W. McDonald, M.D., Ph.D.

Electrical Stimulation (FES)

Application of electrical stimulus to a nerve or muscle is termed electrical stimulation. As electrical current passes through a muscle/nerve fiber, partial depolarization of the cell at the region of the cathode will occur and if the level of depolarization reaches a critical value, muscle fiber contraction will occur. This effect can be used for muscle reeducation and strengthening, retardation of atrophy, tissue healing, pain and tone control.

Pain

Pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself.

Bladder Management

Although it may not be possible to regain the same control one had before paralysis, a wide range of techniques and tools are available to manage bladder and bowel function.

Bowel Care

The digestive tract as a whole is a hollow tube extending from the mouth to the anus. The bowel, the final portion of the tract, is where waste products of digested food are stored until they are emptied from the body in the form of stool, or feces.

Autonomic Dysreflexia

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a potentially life threatening condition that can be considered a medical emergency. It mainly affects people with injuries at T-5 or higher.

Respiratory

As we breathe, oxygen in the air is brought into the lungs and into close contact with the blood, which absorbs it and carries it to all parts of the body.

What are Clinical Trials?

New therapies are tested on people only after laboratory and animal studies show promising results.