BODY WEIGHT SUPPORT TRAINING
Edelle C. Field-Fote, Ph.D., P.T. • Dejan Tepavac, Ph.D.

Clinical evidence suggests that rewiring of spinal circuitry can occur following SCI and studies show that rehabilitative interventions can improve function. A hallmark of well-organized movement is coordination. Assessing changes in coordination can tell us how well the nervous system is controlling movement and functional walking.

Treadmill training with body weight support (BWS) has been used to improve walking function in people with SCI. Previous results indicate that research volunteers experience improvements in lower extremity strength and walking speed. Beyond assessing strength and speed, Drs. Field-Fote and Tepavac recently developed an assessment tool that allows them to evaluate the coordination of the legs during ambulation. Using this research tool, they evaluated fourteen research volunteers who had undergone a 12-week training program combining BWS, electrical stimulation and treadmill training. The results of this study show that they have improved limb coordination following training. We cannot attribute the improvements in coordination solely to changes in strength and endurance, which suggests that positive changes within the nervous system occur.

We expect that people who undergo a future ‘cure’ operation are going to need some type of rehabilitation intervention to help them learn to coordinate movement. The goal of developing effective gait training strategies like BWS and the tools necessary to evaluate them is an important complement to the research directed at repairing the damaged spinal cord.