Restoration of walking is an important goal for those with incomplete spinal cord injuries. Body weight supported treadmill training is an effective means towards achieving this goal, particularly in the initial stages of retraining. However, community walking requires more than the ability to walk on a smooth surface (skill training).
Dr. Yang and colleagues report on a new method to retrain walking overground that is intensive, variable, and relevant to daily walking. Enhancing walking skills increases the activity level of the individual, which has many added benefits including reduced spasticity, improved bone density, and improved bowel, bladder and cardiovascular function.
This article reports on a very small cohort of initial testing and suggests that skill training is effective.
Find out more about our locomotor training in our NeuroRecovery Network.
Douglas S. Landsman, Ph.D.
Director, Individual Research Grants Program
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
