Exercises that counterbalance overworked muscles used to propel manual wheelchairs can help people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in attaining cardiovascular fitness targets while protecting against aches and strains. New home-based and established gym-based adaptive rowing equipment investigated by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Ben Mortenson enabled participants to achieve these objectives safely and effectively.
People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at greater risk of severe muscle weakness than their non-SCI peers, with maintaining adequate muscle mass essential to prevent muscle wasting and atrophy. In a study led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Babak Shadgan, blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise — used by athletes such as bodybuilders — enabled people with SCI to gain strength using lighter weights, while also reducing their risk of injury.
New Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI)-led research reveals an alarming number of people suffering spinal cord injuries while mountain biking, often leading to permanent and life-altering paralysis.
In July 2024, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Brian Kwon was appointed the new director of the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD). Kwon first began studying as a PhD student at what was originally known as “CORD” in 2000.
Family members of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) often provide essential care to their loved ones, supplementing and augmenting health care system services. New research led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researchers Dr. Somayyeh Mohammadi and Dr. William Miller looks at the types of support family caregivers receive through social media. Their research showed that Family Caregivers of individuals with SCI (FC-SCI) turn to social media for informational and emotional support, as well as social companionship.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of health care in Canada, with 33 per cent of all patient-reported visits between January 2021 and March 2022 being virtual. A study led by VCHRI investigator Dr.
At the age of 16, John Chernesky lost the use of his legs following a car crash that damaged his cervical spine. Now in his mid-40s, the tetraplegic with moderate to good hand function has made it part of his life’s mission to help find new treatments for spinal cord injury (SCI) as an active participant in research and the consumer engagement program manager with Praxis Spinal Cord Institute.
Researchers at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) are part of a new, multidisciplinary team working to better treat people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Their project, Mend the Gap, is investigating the use of biomaterials — soft gels in particular — to heal SCI.
When it comes to participating in health research, 39-year-old Vancouverite Kyle Gieni is not your average study participant. Not only has he volunteered for more than 50 studies about spinal cord injury (SCI), but he has also helped develop new studies and get research grants to move projects forward. Gieni, a wheelchair user since 2003, admits that while he is heavily involved in research for the greater good of the SCI community, he also participates for the personal health benefits.
Spine surgeon Dr. Raphaële Charest-Morin is dedicated to providing her patients and their family members with as much information as possible about treatment options and potential outcomes. But she also knows it can be challenging to verify that patients fully understand the limitations of certain procedures even when those details were previously shared.
