By shifting focus on fundamental aspects of recovery – such as organizing the progression of neurological healing, the importance of an SCI rehab home program, and exercising independently – the answers to the questions above become more apparent.

This phase may be the most frustrating and most gratifying at the same time. This is the phase of the framework that gives rehab exercises the opportunity to ‘stick’ for the long term. And there are a few ways we can support body connection after SCI.

Because paralyzing injury results in the loss of movement, SCI rehab programs tend to focus on the generation of movement above all else. It makes sense that you are eager to create motion after this kind of injury, however, we can’t neglect the importance of stability (essentially non-movement) in this endeavor.

How do you make lasting and impactful change in SCI recovery? Taking a closer look at how your body moves and feels, as a baseline, is an essential first step. We have to know what is going on in the body before we can even begin to address how to progress it.

Paralysis comes with a loss of power to do what you want, how you want and when you want. Even if you are active in making decisions, you may not get the opportunity to actually make *it* happen, which can end up feeling like your life is being lived for you.

There’s a certain amount of irony in the difference between what people say – “Every spinal cord injury is completely different!” – and what they do for therapy – which, for the most part, looks very much the same for different bodies working to regain movement function after SCI.

Let’s call it as it is: society has an assumption on what recovering from a paralyzing injury looks like — standing and walking seems to be what everyone considers when it comes to healing from SCI.

By shifting focus on fundamental aspects of recovery – such as organizing the progression of neurological healing, the importance of an SCI rehab home program, and exercising independently – the answers to the questions above become more apparent.