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June 2008 Newsletter |
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Project Walk®Institute, a Change for the Future: Project Walk®has been fluid with change since Mike Thomas, our first client, walked out the door back in 2000. Our program and The Dardzinski Method™ have continued to improve, change and evolve. Since mid-2002, we’ve gone from 4 trainers to a staff of 28 to accommodate the influx of clients seeking recovery. Early on, the majority of our clients relocated to Carlsbad, separating families and leaving behind loved ones and a community that supported them. We learned just how great outside stresses can affect a clients’ success. This realization prompted us to evolve again from a program based on relocation, to a program based on at home training with family members within the local community that supports them. Project Walk®has grown and succeeded by listening to our clients and learning from them.
Fast approaching our first decade of treating SCI, we have evolved again to better serve the SCI community. Project Walk®has decided to get out of the business of owning and operating centers and focus on what we do best—training. To better support the SCI community and further the options of exercise-based recovery, our focus is to teach others The Dardzinski Method and help build community based centers. So far this year, we began training the staff of J-Workout (Japan), Quest to Walk (Kansas), and Walk On (Australia). Soon we will begin training for our newest provider, Roll 2 Walk (Texas). Add in that our former staff is now working for Journey Forward (Boston), and you can see that we are beginning to achieve our goal of making The Dardzinski Method more accessible. Additionally, with the implementation of our new Professional Track within our TYT program™ (see below), we will be teaching a large number of physical therapists/trainers throughout the year. In a year’s time, we will have increased the number of skilled, knowledgeable professionals available to work with SCI. Professionals trained at the Project Walk®Institute will receive continuing education to ensure the quality of their training is at a level that once required someone to travel to Carlsbad, CA to receive.
Why Community Based Centers and Local Therapists/Trainers?
We know relocating doesn’t work, commuting long hours to workout doesn’t work, and fundraising is much more successful in the local community for the local community. Bringing the program home makes it accessible.
As the demand for recovery grows, many physical therapists are seeking the knowledge needed to satisfy their clients’ needs. Some of the PT’s work within our Provider Network, others work independently, and others work at rehab hospitals. By training and certifying physical therapists in The Dardzinski Method, we are training those that can change the system from the inside out and help more clients by being able to bill insurance. |
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A Note from the Founder:
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What’s New…
Research Published!
“Effects of Intense Exercise in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury” Our research project that was done in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine during 2006-2007 has produced the first ever published paper on the effects intense multimodal exercise has in spinal cord injury. The paper was accepted for publication in the journal Spinal Cord (a Nature publication), and is currently available online ahead of print (http://www.nature.com/sc/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/sc200856a.html). Eric Harness, Director of Research and Development at Project Walk®is the lead author, and Nuray Yozbatrian with Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine and Steven Cramer (Principal Investigator) with the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California, Irvine are co-authors.
Some important findings: 71% of intense exercise (IE) subjects showed an increase in ASIA motor score over 6 months 15 IE subjects had at least one muscle change from 0 to 1 or more on the ASIA scale This group had a mean of 4.1 (3.2 in the lower extremities) muscles exhibiting this change 7 IE subjects had at least one muscle change from a score of <3 (non-functional) to a score of ≥3 (functional). This group had a mean of 2.0 muscles showing this change. The IE group had a mean increase of 4.8 points in ASIA Motor score over the six month period. Positive changes in Total ASIA Motor score correlated significantly with total time spent in intense exercise (r=0.53, p<0.014) Positive changes in ASIA Motor score in the lower extremities correlated significantly with total time spent in intense exercise (r=0.55, p<0.009) Positive changes in CHART (Craig handicap assessment and reporting technique) correlated significantly with total time spent in intense exercise (r=0.48, p<0.027) Time spent performing load bearing type exercises showed the highest correlation with the above outcome scores. Time spent performing active assistive exercises correlated significantly with positive changes in quality of life scores (r=0.47, p<0.03)
If you would like more information on the research or would like us to present on our findings or program, please contact Eric at eharness@projectwalk.org
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Introduction to The Dardzinski Method™: |
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Due to the large increase of inquiries about becoming a Project Walk®Certified Trainer, we have modified our Train Your Trainer™ Program to Train Your Trainer/Therapist(TYT)™. The program now offers two different tracks. The first option is called a Professional Track. This track is designed for physical therapists and certified exercise trainers that are interested in learning as much as possible about spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery in order to work with not only one SCI client but many other SCI clients in their area. The second option is call a Family Track. This track is for family members or someone who doesn’t have any formal education in exercise training, who wants to work hands-on with one specific SCI client. |
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New Programs: |
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This is a one day overview designed for the healthcare professional working in a hospital or rehab setting. The person attending will already have heard about Project Walk®and is seeking further knowledge on the program by experiencing it firsthand. It provides the healthcare professional a realistic view of our program so they can educate their patients on it.
If you are interested in either TYT track, the Certified Trainer Program, or the introduction overview to The Dardzinski Method, please contact Brian Malkinson, Education Coordinator, at brianm@projectwalk.org. |
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Transitions are in the Works: Boston: Our Boston Center has transitioned into Journey Forward, a MA-based nonprofit. The staff at Journey Forward is being trained in The Dardzinski Method™ and is supervised by two former Project Walk®specialists, Brett Fetcher and John Walters. The Boston team also includes Dan Cummings, a recovering C5 injury, who relocated to Carlsbad in 2003 to take part in Project Walk. Dan was a very determined client and worked hard every day he was in the center. His work ethic combined with The Dardzinski Method allowed him to walk out the door and back to Boston in 2007. Journey Forward has the backing of the local Boston community and is gearing up to provide the level of service that the SCI community in that area seeks.
Portland: In order to support our mission and new focus, we did close the Portland Center. However, the training staff, overseen by Kandice Kinney, is still seeing clients and working out of the same location. |
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Record Number of Clients Visiting Project Walk®this Summer: |
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As our clients continue to improve, we continue to improve our equipment and our knowledge base on how and when to use the equipment. Just having a new gait trainer available doesn’t mean you know how to use it. To further our staff’s education, we brought in Christian Dizon and his assistant from CSU Los Angeles to demonstrate proper hand positioning and timing for using the Robomedica®. Christian is an assistant to Dr. Ray DeLeon who helped with the initial testing and development of the Robomedica gait system. Christian and his assistant were able to stay and assist/observe our staff for four hours, and we thank them both for their time. |
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Gait Training Continuing Education: |
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Project Walk®continues to attract clients from all over the world to train with the best, including the founders. This movement has greatly increased our client numbers with the greatest return from our home-based and TYT™ programs seeking updates as they continue to improve. Some are staying for a week where others are staying for the summer. We are currently building a waiting list so please contact us as soon as possible to schedule your visit. |
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New Date for the “2008 Steps to Recovery” We have moved the Steps event to Saturday, November 1, 2008 but the fun-filled celebration begins on Monday, October 27, as many clients are returning a week ahead of time to participate. This year are welcoming other foundations to take part in our celebration of recovery. For more information on the Steps event or if you would like to volunteer or donate to our silent auction, please contact Tiffany at tiffanyd@projectwalk.org or 760.431.8568. |
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Save the Date! Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 6:30-9:30pm Chris Marsolais and www.HelpChrisWalk.org is holding The Second Annual “A Night at the University Club”. Appetizers, beverages, silent auction and raffles. For more information, please visit the website above. |
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Client Fundraisers: |
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Sunday, August 17, 2008, 3-8pm The 1st Annual “Help Patrick Walk” Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. Scripps Ranch Swim and Racquet Club, 9875 Avairy Drive, San Diego. Casino money, buffet dinner and beverages. For more information, please contact Jennifer at |
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If you are a current client and have an upcoming fundraiser planned, let us know. Please contact Tiffany at least two months in advance and we will post it on our website and announce it here in our E– Newsletter. tiffanyd@projectwalk.org |
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Provider Update: Our national and international network of Certified Providers is setting a standard of excellence in exercise-based recovery training (The Dardzinski Method™) through extensive education and collaboration. If you live in these areas, please visit the website of the Provider nearest you. We highly recommend these centers as their staff is learning The Dardzinski Method and all are committed to continuing education in the method to ensure the SCI community receives the best recovery training possible. |
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United States:
Texas: Roll 2 Walk
New Jersey: Push to Walk
Kansas: Quest to Walk |
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Looking for a Little Help:
Each month our training staff comes to us with ideas and suggestions to make their job more efficient and help improve client workouts. A few months ago we determined that we needed more large training tables to accommodate our clients and also to prevent our staff from hurting their backs lifting clients off the floor. We received an overwhelming response for help. Enough lumber was donated by Dan Carter Sr. and his company, Belfor USA Group, to build six new tables.
We are always moving our clients’ bodies in different positions; some feel the movement; others have the proper proprioception to understand where we are moving their bodies; while others have no feeling or proprioception at all. This is why we have tables up against the mirrors—so the client can see what they are being asked to do. However, because of the mirror angles or the positional movement, the visual is not always attainable. To overcome this obstacle, the training staff came up with the idea of portable mirrors on wheels so we can position a mirror anywhere in the room so the client can see what they are doing.
We are hoping to raise $2,500 in order to purchase five of these portable mirrors. Please pass this request for help along to anyone who may be interested in helping us achieve this goal. For more information, please contact Tiffanyd@projectwalk.org
As always, thank you. |
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. Questions or comments? E-mail us at info@projectwalk.org or call 760-431-9789. |