Embracing AI: Discover the RISE Stimulator with Our Innovative Chatbot

Consider this scenario: You're curious about the RISE Stimulator because you've heard it's effective for treating denervated muscles and you want to learn more.

It's evening, our office is closed, and you don't feel like sifting through numerous web pages to find the information you need. Would you trust a chatbot to provide the answers you're looking for?

Try out our chat bot and let us know what you think

Read More
spinal cord injury, rehabilitation Derek Jones spinal cord injury, rehabilitation Derek Jones

Measuring performance in spinal cord injury rehabilitation: New possibilities?

Many of us today walk around or exercise with products that sense many aspects of our daily activity. Smartphones and sensor developments mean that we can be more in tune with what is happening to our health and fitness. My Suunto watch monitors my heart rate and heart rate variability, blood oxygenation, skin temperature and activities in many ways. It can nudge me to exercise more, tell me how I recovered from exercise and alert me to how well or how badly I am sleeping.. I personally do like having these insights, but of course, some people will hate the idea of this.

The smartwatch and related sensor technologies have opened up some new possibilities. In this article, im going beyond the smartwatch of today and take a look at what additional sensor technologies might assist us with spinal cord injury rehabilitation in the near future. In particular, we take a look at two sensor areas that have grown in popularity with elite athletes - Muscle oxygen sensing and Lactate sensing. If you want to know why, then read on.

Read More
Technology, Tek RMD, Decision Making Derek Jones Technology, Tek RMD, Decision Making Derek Jones

The challenge of equipment selection for disabled clients

This article offers a detailed guide to adaptive equipment procurement after a spinal cord injury or disability. It emphasises the significance of initial assessment, research, and involving healthcare professionals, family, and caregivers. It also covers vendor reliability, financial aspects, equipment trial, customisation, training, maintenance, reassessment, community support, and embracing new technologies. Overall, the holistic approach aims to ensure a positive outcome for individuals needing adaptive equipment.

Read More
spinal cord injury, rehabilitation Derek Jones spinal cord injury, rehabilitation Derek Jones

How are spinal cord injuries classified?

A spinal cord injury can be a life-changing event that no one is ever prepared for. Medical science has learned a great deal about how to treat the short-term consequences of a spinal cord injury. In the longer term, the imperative is to recover whatever function can be recovered through focusing on rehabilitation. Assistive technology can help to compensate for function that cannot be recovered. By preventing complications and striving for health, individuals can expect to enjoy good quality and length of life.

The mindset, attitudes and beliefs of the injured person and those around them will have a great impact on their potential for recovery, but there are limits to how far ‘belief’ will take them. Just believing that something is possible is not enough to make it so. We live in an age when technology, therapy and medical science can help individuals recover more function or at least remain healthier than would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. Whilst there is no cure yet for spinal cord injury, this no longer seems an impossible dream.

Every spinal cord-injured person faces a different challenge as they essentially have injuries with somewhat different characteristics. To deal with this, medical science has sought to find a way to classify spinal cord injuries in a way that helps to guide treatment, and to some extent, define the expectations for recovery. This article examines how spinal cord injuries are classified.

Read More
Healthspan, spinal cord injury Derek Jones Healthspan, spinal cord injury Derek Jones

How to improve life expectancy after spinal cord injury - Part 2

In the first article in this series, we described how the lifespan of our general population increased on average as we moved through the first half of the 20th century. This was largely due to improved public health measures and the arrival of antibiotics. At present, we no longer see lifespan increasing and what is worse, many of us spend the last years of life in poor health and subject to chronic conditions that are associated with ageing. These conditions are:-

Heart disease

Cancer

Neurodegenerative disease

Type 2 diabetes and related metabolic dysfunction

These conditions are highly correlated with age and approximately 80% of the population will succumb to them. To some extent, they may have common causes that we would need to dig deep to uncover. In particular, metabolic dysfunction seems to be a precursor to all these other diseases.

Read More

Demystifying the Causes and Management of Transverse Myelitis

If you or someone close to you is living with transverse myelitis, then you know how life-altering this neurological condition can be. It often results in sudden symptoms, such as muscle weakness, pain and bladder dysfunction. It has several possible causes. Some people recover from the symptoms and resulting complications of transverse myelitis, while others don’t.

With its sudden onset and potential for long-term impact, it's important that we have the best understanding of what causes transverse myelitis and what steps, if any, can be taken to minimise the chance of another episode occurring.

In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the underlying causes, transverse myelitis symptoms, as well as potential ways to reduce it's severity and increase quality of life through some of the technology we offer.

Read More