Of the over 12,000 spinal cord injuries a year only a small percentage regain the ability to walk. The reason is not always the injury, but the lack of treatment. Traditional treatment lacks the aggressive part of therapy. Picture this, if you place an able-bodied person in a reduced gravity environment; tell them they can't move for a year; heavily medicate them; and give them no hope; what will be the outcome?  Bone density, muscle mass, and nervous system activity would begin to shut down and disappear. That able- bodied person would have the same symptoms of a paralyzed person. So, is it just the injury or the treatment that keeps some SCI paralyzed? We know that not every new injury will regain their desired function, but since 1999, a significant number of clients participating in the Dardzinski Method of spinal cord injury recovery have regained greater function than believed possible based on the injury level. Why are thousands of other injuries each year not progressing past their perceived level of recovery? It's the lack of treatment.

Once you are no longer in ICU and transfer to rehab, are healthy, and have your doctor’s clearance, you should start. Every day, every month, and every year that you sit in your wheelchair without nervous system stimulation, the harder it will become to regain function. With this injury your body is like newly poured concrete--in the beginning you can mold it, but once it sets, it is extremely difficult to work with. We have seen incomplete clients two or more years post injury struggle tremendously with tone and spasms because they did not receive the proper stimulation early on. The unfortunate thing is that these individuals are not alone. Each year hundreds of people wiggle their toes, get return of sensation down their bodies, some can even create movement, but they are told these occurrences are common and don’t mean anything. But it does mean something; it means everything. Your future depends on nervous system stimulation to improve. Educate yourself, determine your goals, and try everything in your power to regain function. During this time, you will be improving physically and mentally, and proactively increasing your quality of life.

Nothing in life is guaranteed, but if you do nothing to promote recovery, you are almost guaranteed a life without it. Taking care of yourself and taking control of your future is what makes life worth living. At Project Walk Orlando, we can’t promise that you will walk again. We do promise the best facility, a positive environment for healing, the best and most highly trained and skilled staff in the world in the field of exercise-based recovery and a long-term, realistic plan that fits your needs as an individual.

There is no timeline or deadline for regaining function. Each person and injury is different. It’s only when someone actually regains function that we know they are healing. Think of recovery as a lifetime process; it only stops when you stop trying.

The doctors are correct in one aspect of the two-year window theory--your body is trying to recover and most people see the majority of their gains in the first two-years. If your body is trying to regain function, why not do everything in your power to increase your chances. The nervous system will not improve without external stimulation and traditional treatment does not work the paralyzed body. Without stimulation, your body will deteriorate. You will lose muscle mass, bone density and central nervous system activity. Increase your chances of recovering by changing your environment and increasing your nervous system stimulation. You can still recover function well past the two-year mark. The magic two-year mark is based on the assumption that you do nothing to improve during that time. And, over the last 50 years or so, most people have not gotten better after the two year mark. The longer one waits to try to recover, the harder it becomes, but it is not impossible! Our message to you is don’t wait. Take advantage of your body’s desire to heal before it is too late.

There is no set standard on how long it will take to regain function. Every person has their own goals and desired outcomes and works towards their needs. Each person and the damage they have sustained are different; therefore, you can’t compare yourself to others because each person regains function differently. Recovery is a lifetime program and includes all aspects of your life. What you do outside of Project Walk Orlando is equally as important as what you do inside. Successful clients who are regaining function become independent, go back to school or work, drive and are surrounded by supportive family and friends. Because there is no timeline for recovery, you must develop and implement a life plan.

As mentioned before, every spinal cord injury varies a great deal from person to person, and so does the results between each individual. Though there are many common results we see with nearly all of our clients within the first 6 months of their recovery program.

Which include:

•  Increased muscle mass Increased central nervous system activity

•  Increased health and well-being

•  Increased sensation including hot and cold, pain, touch, etc.

•  Increased function below level of injury

•  Increased occupational skills

•  Decreased drug dependence

•  Decreased pain

At Project Walk Orlando there are only a few things we ask of each client before beginning their road to recovery. These are: Doctors approval, bone density scan with results, and a complete application sent to us via email or to our address at Project Walk Orlando.

No, you cannot give up your life, family and friends, etc. to pursue recovery. Too often we meet someone who has moved across the country with the determination and mindset that they are going to get better and return home walking, only to fail. Add in undue stress and unattainable recovery timelines and you have an unhappy ending for everyone involved. Clients who keep their support network and continue on with life are recovering. Recovery is a long process and isn’t all about walking; it is also about your life and how you live it. Outside of training, be active, play sports, go skiing and horseback riding, go back to school or work. In life, the most successful, happy people are well-rounded. If you can’t participate as an In-House client, it doesn’t mean you can’t recover. This is why we have the Home-Based and Train Your Trainer/Therapist™ programs; they are quickly becoming very successful components of our program. The recovery process may be slower, but the rewards are there.

Our aggressive spinal cord injury recovery program is open to all motivated individuals that are willing to make the commitment to our program. Current Project Walk Orlando clients range from ages 3 to 70 years old. We do take in to consideration the Body Mass Index (BMI) during the application review/acceptance process to protect both clients and trainers, but there are exceptions to the program. Please contact Project Walk Orlando with any further questions towards this matter.