Spinal cord injuries are one of the most devastating and challenging injuries one can imagine. The long-term effects of SCI remain devastating. These effects include massive muscle paralysis with progressive atrophy, loss of sensation, loss of bladder, bowel, sexual, and autonomic functions – i.e. blood pressure, heart rhythm, temperature, and gastrointestinal regulation.
In addition, the progressive secondary chronic effects on bone, skin, muscle, vascular system and metabolism, coupled with body physical inactivity, compound these. Ultimately the result is profound body multi-system deterioration.
Efforts to maximize one’s remaining functions, activities of daily living, mobility and community re-entry have dramatically improved the quality of life for many with spinal cord injury over the last four decades.
Unfortunately, attempts to minimize the effects of these multiple-system, chronic deterioration has been limited by one well known key factor: the lack of sustained physical activity. Specific physical activities are essential for the health of muscle, joint, tendon, soft tissue, bone, heart, vessels, lymphatics, endocrine / metabolism, and the nervous system – peripheral and central – and finally psychological and social aspects of the whole person.
The key to delaying and reversing many, of these physiological effects of spinal cord injury and associated immobility is individualized, active, repetitive, continuing, custom- designed exercise – active, resistive, passive, proprioceptive – over long periods.
The Stay In Step Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Center is uniquely designed to provide access for Active Duty military, veterans, and civilians personnel alike, that are motivated to participate in the customized, intense exercise and mobility training we provide in our program.