The Challenge
Every year in Australia more than 300 mainly young people hear the dreaded phrase “I’m sorry, you’ll never walk again”. Around the world today its estimated 2.5 million people are living with spinal cord injury. Curing the paralysis caused by spinal cord Injury remains one of man’s great neuroscience and medical challenges.
“Walk On SCI Recovery Project” is an initiative to bring the Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Program to Australia, with the first facility to be based in Brisbane.
The Walk On intensive exercise recovery program, offers a path to maximising functional recovery through a structured program based upon the Project Walk www.projectwalk.org application of the Dardzinski methodology, which has been offered in the United States since 1999. In Project Walk’s experience, the earlier an intensive recovery strategy is commenced after injury, the greater the opportunity for advancing recovery. This is particularly true for those diagnosed with “incomplete injuries”. If you are recently injured, whether your diagnosis is “complete” or “incomplete” it is vital you commence intensive recovery training as soon as possible.
Project Walk findings have demonstrated that the techniques used increase central nervous system activity, muscle mass and movement, and decrease pain, depression, skin tissue breakdown and other health problems associated with spinal cord injury. These findings are supported by recent scientific discovery involving leading neuroscientists.
With funding support from Spinal Cure Australia and venue partner Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association of Queensland, two exercise physiologists have commenced training at the US-based Project Walk Recovery Centre to achieve their Level 1 Certification in the recovery methodology. These Recovery Specialists will then return to Australia and continue to offer the program to clients under the guidance of Project Walk and one of their Lead Recovery Specialists who will arrive in Australia in April 2008.
Whilst not the “cure” for spinal cord injury, the Project Walk program has resulted in significant levels of recovery for many of its clients. For some, that has included leaving their wheelchair behind and walking out the door. Strict enrolment conditions do apply however the program offers the opportunity to maximise functional recovery beyond the current traditional rehabilitation model.
