WHAT IS RESTORATION THERAPY?
Dr.McDonald’s specialty is activity-based restoration therapy that combines rehab therapies and advanced restoration technologies to help patients recover more quickly. He says that this approach demonstrates that patterned physical activity, such as cycling or walking movements, helps regenerate stem cells and help patients’ bodies “remember” how to move. For instance, one method uses a computer to send electrical messages to a patient’s legs, signaling the leg muscles to contract and pedal a specially designed bike. In normal development of the nervous system, cells are born and differentiate themselves through patterned neural activity; injury to the spinal cord interrupts this vital process. WHAT’S NEXT: The next step for spinal cord injury researchers is to evaluate the results of several clinical trials designed to measure the efficacy of the therapies. One such trial, focusing on pediatric spinal cord injuries, is already underway as part of a new collaboration between KKI and P
