Lynn Charara, a research associate working on various studies on quality of life after SCI, presented a research exhibition table at the Mary Free Bed Spinal Cord Injury Symposium in Grand Rapids on September 26, 2019.
The aim of the symposium was to discuss topics such as the latest SCI research, the nurse’s role in rehabilitation, specialized equipment for people with disabilities, and sexual function, parenting, and family communication for persons living with spinal cord injuries. Especially intriguing was Dr. Wise Young’s presentation on intensive walking training for persons with chronic complete SCI. In this session, Dr. Young discussed his human clinical trials in China, using umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells and lithium for regeneration. He displayed videos and pictures of patients with complete injuries regaining their ability to walk using a rolling walker as a result of the intensive training which included nurses walking the patients six hours a day, six days a week, for six weeks. After the great success of this trial, Dr. Young established a similar trial in the United States.
Several attendees, including nurses, social workers, community peer mentors, and other exhibitors expressed interest in the SCI research studies being conducted at Michigan Medicine PM&R.
