14241 SW 120 ST Suite #107
Miami, FL 33186
Miami, FL 33186
If you or someone you know has suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI), then you know that there is an arduous road to recovery ahead. While physical therapy and rehabilitation are critical aspects of your healing and recovery process, gait training exercises in Miami also significantly aid patients’ return to normal life.
In this article, we will look at the role of gait training exercises in spinal cord injury recovery and how they can help improve patients’ quality of life. But, first, let’s review what SCI is and how it affects you.
A spinal cord injury stems from a damage to the spinal cord or the vertebrae and tissues around it. Traffic accidents, falls, sports injuries, gunshots, or stabbing injuries are some of the most common causes of SCI. Changes in the spinal cord’s function occur due to sustained damage; sometimes, they are temporary or permanent. Loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in parts of the body below the injury level are just some changes that can happen when the spinal cord gets injured.
When your spinal cord endures an injury, it can either be complete or incomplete. A complete SCI refers to a total loss of sensation and muscle function. In contrast, an incomplete SCI means some parts of the nervous system can still transmit signals beyond the injured part of the spinal cord.
You can experience numbness or complete paralysis depending on the severity and location of the damage to your spinal cord. If you experience injuries in the neck area, it can cause quadriplegia, and injuries below the chest can lead to paraplegia. Difficulty walking is one of the usual complaints for SCI patients.
An injury to your spinal cord may cause problems in certain physiological functions, including:
To avoid severe disability or complications, SCI patients need early rehabilitation as soon as possible. Expect the whole process to be long, frustrating, and even excruciating. But all your hard work will be rewarded soon enough.
The severity of the injury varies for every person, and it’s essential to invest in physical recovery within the first six months after your injury due to neuroplasticity. This is because it’s the central nervous system’s adaptive ability to change. Since your body is capable of healing itself, injuries can prompt it to rewire itself based on your behaviors.
For example, when you consistently practice a skill, such as gait training and walking, you help your spinal cord perceive a demand for that function and encourage it to adapt accordingly.
Your recovery is not limited to six months though as long as neuroplasticity happens, there is a high potential to recover. Consistent stimulation through physical activities, including gait training exercises in Miami, can bring positive responses and progress.
Sometimes also called locomotor training, gait training is a form of recovery and rehabilitation to help spinal cord injury survivors regain their ability to walk. Depending on the severity of the injury, it can be a low process, but gait training can effectively improve the patient’s quality of life. Finding the right approach is vital for every patient as there are different gait training methods.
A normal gait is a regular walking pattern that requires strength, balance, sensation, and coordination. A gait cycle is known as heel strike to heel strike or one stride length. Everyone’s pattern of gait usually varies. Your gait cycle will consist of a stance phase and a swing phase. Here’s a closer look at the two:
A stance phase includes:
A swing phase includes:
Timely training is vital to the recovery of anyone who has a spinal cord injury. If a patient starts to regain some movement in their limbs, it’s essential to continue regular gait training exercises to improve functional independence. Additionally, studies note that it can reduce secondary injury risks.
Regardless of the extent of your injury, gait training can provide significant benefits. At iAM ABLE, we can assist patients with paraplegia following their injury with gait training exercises in Miami using the Lokomat. This gait training device can support your weight above the treadmill. When using this device, we use exoskeleton straps on your legs to aid in a natural walking motion, and even patients living with paralysis can experience gait training exercises.
Patients with paresis will need to work with a physical therapist to determine how much work they’ll need with the machine to ensure they can safely walk despite the weakened muscles. If you are dealing with muscle weakness, we can also help you with overground training and practicing with assistive devices such as walkers, canes, or parallel bars.
There are also other forms of gait training exercises, including aqua therapy. Water supports a significant percentage of your weight, so there is less need for you to hold yourself up entirely. Water also provides resistance to increase the exercise you get while walking.
iAM ABLE is a trusted fitness and recovery center in Miami that provides unique recovery paths customized and tailored fit for each person. We pay close attention to each case to ensure we give the best possible advancement in their efforts toward recovering from spinal cord injuries.
Our focus is for our patients to reclaim their lives and regain their independence through intense, exercise-based programs designed to fit their needs. If you or a loved one requires our help, you can reach us at 305-283-9717 or email us at alfredo@iamable.org.
We are passionate and determined to be there for you every step of the way, even outside our state-of-the-art facility, so we prepared this FREE downloadable eBook called the 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to Thrive after Paralysis. Our goal for this eBook is to help you mentally prepare for your journey to recovery. This is our way to assist you further as you encounter many challenges of SCI recovery.
Grab our free e-book 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to THRIVE after Paralysis by clicking the image below.
