Few traditional rehabilitation programs recognize the possibility that someone with a spinal cord injury can recover, but at Project Walk we know they can…and do. Persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are taught to cope and live with their injuries. Today, recovery is an option for those wishing to obtain it. Yet, those that choose recovery often do not have options available to them due to the lack of qualified, trained professionals.  At Project Walk Dallas, our highly trained SCI Specialists are able to provide a unique experience to clients, giving them their opportunity to recover.

Traditionally, SCI rehabilitation focused on compensation. The thought was that the human nervous system could not re-organize and improve function below the level of injury. Recent research and Project Walk’s own client success, over the last decade, have proven this to be false for many people with SCI. At Project Walk we cannot guarantee who will regain function, however, we understand and recognize symptoms that present the potential to improve function below the level of injury.

We tap into this potential through an intense activity-based recovery program. The program focuses on using specific exercises that are related to the same movement patterns that occur during human development. Through these movements we are attempting to re-establish patterned neural activity within the central nervous system. These movement patterns are replicated by our clients with the assistance of our Specialists. All Specialists have been taught to respond to the cues each client’s nervous system gives them and, by providing the proper stimulus, help to re-organize it.

In addition to the unique exercises and highly trained staff, Project Walk also believes that the use of antispasmodics and other medication associated with traditional SCI treatment hinders the chance of recovery. Many of our clients have found that the elimination of medications improves their quality of life and helps them to progress in their recovery. As a result of increased activity and less medication, our clients improve their overall health and quality of life.

What makes us unique…

Project Walk has been treating SCI clients for over a decade. Specialists at the Carlsbad headquarters alone see an average of 26,000 client hours each year. It is this knowledge and experience that makes the program unlike any other. Project Walk Dallas is uniquely qualified to succeed for the following reasons:

• Improved levels of function – the majority of clients experience improved function (sensory and or motor) below their injury level. 
• No medication – many clients find that after starting the program they are able to decrease or completely eliminate their medication programs.
• Wheelchair free – all exercises are completed outside of the wheelchair.  The emphasis is on load-bearing activities that may help increase function, bone density, muscle mass, sensation, and circulation.
• Improved quality of life - the combination of exercise and decrease in medication may result in increased health and an improved quality of life. Through intense exercise, the body becomes more resilient to common SCI ailments such as pressure sores, urinary tract infections, blood pressure problems and poor circulation.
• Social and psychological support – at Project Walk clients meet others who have been in the program for a while or have just started. These clients have similar stories and can help each other understand the recovery process; clients feel they are not alone and have the support of their peers and Specialists who work with spinal cord injuries on a daily basis.
• Hope – everyone needs hope. Without hope you can’t recover. You will find throughout Project Walk that hope is not discouraged but found within our staff and most importantly our clients.
• Research – over the past several years, Project Walk Carlsbad has embarked on an ambitious research agenda. Through partnering with universities, hospitals, and other non-profits Project Walk has been able to design and implement various projects that have led to publications in multiple peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences.  This research allows Project Walk to refine and evolve the program in ways that other programs cannot.  Please visit www.projectwalk.org for links to the latest research publications.