Archive for September, 2008
Recovering from a brain or spinal cord injury is a complex process with many steps. And one of the most important steps is finding the right rehabilitation center. The quality and type of care the survivor receives will have a significant impact on the rare of recovery, the ability of the survivor to reintegrate into society and work, and the long-term outcome. By following three steps, the patient and his or her loved ones can ensure the right rehabilitation facility is found…
Every day, researchers are working hard to develop new therapies and treatments designed to treat symptoms, slow progression, and repair damage to the spinal cord. One of these treatments involves the use of stem cells.
Supporters and Detractors of Stem Cell Research
Because stem cells may have the potential to generate cells designed to replace or repair cells damaged by spinal cord injury, supporters feel it’s possible the benefits may far outweigh the negatives. Detractors of stem cell research focus on the moral and ethical dilemmas related to the fact that stem cells are harvested from embryos and fetal tissue. As a matter of fact, it’s difficult to turn on the television, flip through a magazine, or read the newspaper without encountering the controversy surrounding stem cell research and treatment…
Q: Is the United States the only country that has been hesitant to use Embryonic Stem Cells (ES cells) for research purposes such as spinal cord injury (SCI) repair?
As the survivor of a traumatic brain injury and his or her friends and family struggle to comes to terms with what has happened and what the future holds, many questions are raised. It’s helpful if both the survivor and his or her family have some general information about traumatic brain injury at this time…
Why are respiratory infections so common in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients? We’ve mentioned the prevalence before, but want to share some data we recently found…
Organizations like Project Mobility: Cycles for Life, Inc. have been helping people with disabilities such as spinal cord injuries (SCI) gain mobility and independence with adaptive bicycles and social riding programs. These bikes have given adults and children with unique physical limitations the ability to return to or begin biking. There are a wide assortment of companies with a variety of specialized options to choose from…
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been around for some time now, but we are only recently (in the last 10 years or so) seeing it branch out to document illnesses such as anxiety that are common after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI). This therapy involves the use of a trained animal to assist and comfort the patient. The most common animals used are dogs, but there have been cases of monkeys, cats, horses, fish, birds, dolphins and even cows…
We are pleased to share this guest post with our readers:
I’m Megan. I was born on May 6, 1985. I’m 23 years old and I am so thankful that I can say that. I nearly died when I was 22…
