United Spinal's Action Online Magazine » Health

Battling the Bulges

Ziggi — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:07:32 +0000

People with mobility impairments are especially at risk in the war on obesity. Here’s how you can use the food you eat to win the battle.

By Linda A. Cronin

No matter where they live many Americans face a battle every day. Everywhere we turn, we see the headlines: Americans Becoming Fatter, The Most Obese Nation, First Lady Declares War on Obesity. If the US continues on this path, children today will have a shorter lifespan than their parents. And when it comes to managing their weight, people with spinal cord impairment or disabilities (SCI/D) often face an even [...]

Evidence for Healthy Eating

Ziggi — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:02:48 +0000

| RD’s Corner

By Richard Doscher, RD

Nowadays, no matter where you look—supermarkets, TV commercials, news programs—we are constantly being flooded by claims and expert opinions on nutrition-related health facts. Have you ever watched television between midnight and dawn? It seems that there are always new weight-loss supplements, energypacked multivitamins, antioxidant-rich juices, and other supposedly ‘good for you’ products being made available to consumers every day. How can you be sure which really are good for you? How can you protect yourself against ones that are no better for you than a sugar pill, or, worse, that might actually harm you?

Well, [...]

The Physical and Mental Benefits of Seated Tai Chi

Ziggi — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:52:37 +0000

A study in San Jose, California, finds where movement, meditation and spinal cord injury come together.

By Kazuko Shem, MD

If every picture tells a story, picture this: a group of people, gathered around an instructor, are slowly moving their hands inward and outward from their bodies. The instructor tells them to imagine that they are mimicking the graceful, effortless movement of seaweed. “I want each of you”, she says quietly, “to visualize being a long strand of kelp in Monterrey Bay. The current is gently circling around you and you are moving forward … then backward … then forward”.

What you’re seeing [...]

Brain Injury Network: A Catalyst for Future Rehabilitation

Ziggi — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:33:20 +0000

By Herb Drill

We’re all pretty much acquainted with a PIN: a Personal Identification Number. Soon, more veterans and others with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), their families, caregivers, and medical professionals could know about BIN: the Brain Injury Navigator.

BIN is a one-stop, Web-based information resource to meet the information needs of those of all ages with a TBI, their families, and their caregivers across the rehabilitation landscape.

The Need for BIN

At least 3.17 million Americans live with a TBI, with 1.4 million new cases diagnosed each year, according to JBS International, Inc., a Maryland- based management and information technology firm that works with [...]

The Other Side of Suicide

Ziggi — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:33:29 +0000

| ASK THE COACH

By Scott Chesney

Do you know what I love most about writing this column for Action, coaching and speaking to people from all walks of life, and even just connecting with random human beings when pushing down the street? We are all unique, we all have an opinion, and we truly must respect the opinions of others. In my last column, Marylyn Schwartz gave us a unique and heartfelt perspective on her son Clay’s battle with paralysis and his eventual death from committing suicide. Today I want to give you an opposite viewpoint on the topic of suicide [...]

Splice of Life

Ziggi — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:51:50 +0000

Nerve graft surgery is restoring some function and sensation for people with spinal cord injuries. Attendees of United Spinal’s Independence Expo on Long Island will get a chance to talk to representatives of the surgeons who are pioneering this medical procedure.

By Christofer Pierson

Tom Spiegler, 47, a C5-6 quadriplegic who lives in the Hudson Valley north of New York City, was not looking to be cured of the paralysis he acquired in a work-related accident in May of 2006. He just wanted to fix his wrenched hand to be able to hold things without dropping them—things like pens, eating utensils, and ping-pong [...]