A small US study has concluded that strength training beats Robot Assisted Gait Training for speed after incomplete spinal cord injury.
Read more here.

The United Spinal Association (an American Charity) is hosting free webinars in January. They may be worth checking out but might have limited relevance to UK readers.
Read more here:

A stem cell study has started in the University of Calgary, North America, with a stem cell transplant being successfully performed on a spinal cord injury patient. Neural stem cells were injected into a 29 year old patient who will be monitored to find out if implanting these cells is safe.

If the procedure is found safe it may later be studied to see if it could be used to regenerate spinal nerve tissue, offering the possibility of some degree of recovery.

To read more and see a TV interview with Dr. Michael Fehlings, head of the spinal program at Toronto Western Hospital, and the University of Calgary’s Dr. Steven Casha, who performed the procedure.

The top five chefs in the county will be joining forces for a spectacular charity event next month.

The event will take place at Chapter one Restaurant in Locksbottom Kent on March 17^th 2014

http://www.chapteronerestaurant.co.uk/

All the proceeds from the seven-course event will be benefitting the charity which is particularly close to McLeish, the chef patron at Chapter One.

Daniel Nicholls, who the foundation is named after, was a weekend runner at Chapter One, in Orpington, before he was paralysed from the arms down after breaking his neck.

It happened in 2003 when he dived into a wave on Bondi beach in Australia and hit his head on an unseen sandbank beneath the water. His father David Nicholls also worked with McLeish earlier in his career.

“The charity is quite close to our hearts really,” said McLeish. “We all hear stories like this but I know the guy. It really brings it home. It was such a huge shock.”

Tickets for the event are £120pp, which  includes  wine paired with each course. To book contact Cheryl Almond via email cheryl@chaptersrestaurants.com, or by calling the restaurant on 01689 854 848.

Car accidents are responsible for one in three spinal injuries in the USA and all Spinal injuries are on the rise in America according to a study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Researchers studied the records of 43,137 adults treated for spinal chord injuries in the US between 2007 and 2009. They saw an increase in the number of injuries, particularly among older people and noted that one third of injuries were caused by motor vehicle accidents.

The Spinal Injuries Associations is promoting a fun fund raising Fish and Chip Supper night to raise funds for their work.

“The Great British Fish and Chip Supper is all about getting together and having fun.

You can host a supper in your own home, in your workplace or even in your local community centre.

You may want to enjoy an evening out with friends in a local restaurant or pub and ask friends to bring along a donation.”

Last year the event raised £10,000

The event takes place on Friday 16th May 2014 and you can visit their website for more information, ideas for your fun supper and your 2014 fundraising pack.

http://www.siafishandchips.co.uk/

Click here for more information about the Spinal Injuries Association: http://www.siafishandchips.co.uk/about-sia

Max Evans, Scotland’s Rugby star is also an ambassador of Wings for Life, a foundation that funds research into curing spinal cord injury.

The charity means a lot to Max as his brother Thom, who is also a Wings for Life ambassador, was forced to end his career with a serious neck injury suffered while making his 10th appearance for Scotland.

“Tomorrow (Thursday) is the anniversary of Thom’s injury against Wales and he was one of the lucky ones, in some respects. He was very close to being paralysed,” he said.

“It’s an injury that can happen in any walk of life and there is more potential for injury outside of sport, such as traffic accidents and falls, so we want to raise awareness and funding because scientists do believe it is possible to cure spinal cord injury, and be able to regenerate nerve cells.

“There is a big run, the Wings For Life World Run, on May 4 which is 36 races around the world all starting at the same time (British race starts at 11am at Silverstone). There is no finish line.

“You start the race and about 30 minutes later there is a Catcher Car that starts – when it catches the last person that’s the race over. There will be a UK winner, a world winner and it’s exciting – a good idea to raise money and awareness.”

Sportsman Rob Cam had everything ahead of him, with a place at Uni, and a love of both Rugby and rowing, life was looking good for Rob.

Young sportsman Rob Camm with family at Frenchay Hospital

Then in September 2013, after returning from travels in New Zealand and Australia, he was a passenger in a car that was involved in a road crash. He is now paralysed and in a wheelchair.

Rob suffered a high level C5 spinal injury in the accident and is now tetraplegic and on a ventilator.

Rob, 20, was a popular young man at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse and the entire school community are taking part in fundraising £20,000 which will help him realise his dream to take up that University place, where he plans to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Old Wycliffians ,their families and current students and staff are doing many activities to raise funds, bungee jumping, rowing, an auction and there will be a special fund raising day on May 31^st 2014 where many are planning to run or walk one of the designated routes of up to 26 miles laid on by Wycliffe College.

To take part in this or any of the other fund raising events please visit www.cammpaign4rob.co.uk

Rt Hon John Bercow speaker of the House of Commons officially opened Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust’s second Aspire House on Friday 24^th March 2014. These house are especially designed for people with spinal cord injuries.

Brian Carlin, CEO of Aspire, commented: “We are excited to be working with The Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust once again to open our second house in the area.  We now have 37 houses around the UK. Due to a lack of accessible housing, 89% of spinal injured people are forced to live in inaccessible accommodation after they leave hospital.  Aspire, with the assistance of housing associations around the country, helps people live an independent life by providing temporary homes with fully accessible features whilst their permanent accessible housing is arranged.”

There is a great lack of suitable housing in the UK for people with spinal injuries often resulting in people facing delayed discharge, being discharged in to nursing homes or having to go into unsuitable accommodation.

Aspire provides temporary accommodation whilst a more permanent solution can be arranged.

To find out more about Aspire and their work to support people with spinal injuries please visit the Aspire website

Rugby League was stunned at news that Newcastle forward Alex McKinnons career is over after suffering a severe spinal injury in a match with Melbourne on Monday 24 March 2014.

McKinnon was stretchered from the field in a neck brace after landing on his head in an awkward tackle by Melbourne forwards Jesse Bromwich, his brother Kenny and Jordan McLean.

Initial scans confirmed the dislocation of the c4 and c5 vertebrae but first the injury was thought to be limited with no damage to the spinal chord, however further scans revealed what was called ‘devastating spinal injury’.  Alex is in intensive care and has been place in an induced coma. It could take two years for him to achieve recovery.

Spinal injuries are said to be extremely rare in Rugby League and Newcastle Coach Wayne Bennet said that in more than 50 years of coaching he had never seen such an injury.