PLEX

Praxis commercialization program alum, Kalogon has developed a pressure-relieving cushion that helps wheelchair users avoid pressure injuries and pain. Machine learning helps ‘orbit’ support around the cushion in order to redistribute bodyweight through a patent-pending air cell technology and thus avoid prolonged pressure on tissues. This tech recently received attention from Veterans’ Affairs in the United States, where the cushion is being evaluated by people with lived experience (PLEX) of spinal cord injury (SCI). There’s also been a successful seed funding round, emphasizing the value of this innovation, and Kalogon has also attracted federal support from the US Air Force.

Rehabtronics, a BC-based medical start-up and inaugural Praxis SCI Accelerate program alum, has developed a novel neurostimulation medical device to treat and prevent pressure injuries. A wireless stimulator delivers intermittent electrical stimulation to the underlying tissues, restoring blood flow and tissue oxygenation. Treatment time is only 10 to 15 minutes on the affected area per day. Praxis has supported the novel technology behind Rehabtronics for over 10 years, starting when it was a research project at the University of Alberta’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute.

Praxis and Indigenous Peoples' Liaison, Richard Peter, held the first Indigenous SCI Gathering on Friday November 4, 2022. The gathering took place at the offices of Spinal Cord Injury BC and provided a space for peers with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and other mobility issues to share and raise awareness on their experience as Indigenous people with a disability.

Richard, who has multi-medal Paralympics experience in wheelchair basketball, is acting as the Paralympic athlete ambassador.

To describe the status of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) research for the improvement of motor, sensory, and autonomic function for individuals living with a spinal cord injury (SCI).

What models of service delivery, specific to the rehabilitation and lifelong care of persons with SCI exist internationally? The objective of the scoping review was to describe the types of services and identify how services are delivered to persons with SCI during the rehabilitation and community phases of care around the world.

Mental Health Week 2022 #GetReal - focusing on exercise as a tool for supporting mental health and wellness following SCI

This study examines the feasibility of meeting the current clinical guidelines for the hemodynamic management of acute spinal cord injury (SCI).

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a therapeutic approach used within the research setting with considerable evidence to address the sensory, motor, and autonomic impairment characteristics of SCI. Research has shown promising results for motor recovery and management of pain and spasticity. Praxis Consumer Engagement Program Manager, John Chernesky gives his personal reflections on taking part in a study.