Wheelchairs News and Research

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Angioplasty improves quality of life in MS patients

Although using angioplasty to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly controversial, sufferers often insist it helps - in some cases dramatically, such as allowing them to walk without a cane. Patients with less severe MS also reported additional quality of life improvements, such as being able to talk more clearly, after having treatment to open blocked blood vessels in the chest and neck, according to research being presented at the 24th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy.

17 Jan 2012

New research project in rehabilitation

Intelligent wheelchairs that automatically guide you to the correct store while avoiding obstacles, specific colors on the walls and stairs in order to obtain better contrasts which would likely prevent potential falls, personal guides with special training for different types of disabilities- These scenarios could soon become a reality at Place Alexis Nihon due a new ambitious research project in rehabilitation involving some of the best Quebec researchers in this area.

12 Jan 2012

CMS delays two anti-fraud projects

Modern Healthcare reports that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has put on hold its initiative targeting fraud related to power wheelchairs and its expansion of the Recovery Audit Contractors. Georgia Health News reports on how health care fraud has taken root in Georgia.

4 Jan 2012

Kessler scientists monitor Ekso device in six patients with traumatic SCI

Monitored by scientists at Kessler Foundation, six people with traumatic spinal cord injuries tested Ekso, the robotic exoskeleton from Ekso Bionics that enables wheelchair users to stand and walk.

16 Dec 2011

Textile cushions with smart sensor systems for persons confined to bed or wheelchair

Anyone confined to a wheelchair or a bed has to deal with numerous complications. Frequently, they suffer from bedsores or decubitus ulcers as physicians call them. Bony prominences, such as the sacrum, coccyx and ischium, are especially endangered spots. Unrelieved pressure can lead to tissue necrosis. Damage can extend into the periosteum and, at the worst, into bones themselves.

14 Dec 2011

Pending budget cuts could jeopardize health, safety of state's most vulnerable seniors

California's low-income seniors with disabilities are struggling to remain in their homes as public funding for long-term care services shrinks and may be slashed even further, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research conducted with support from The SCAN Foundation.

8 Dec 2011

Life as a couch potato can create new fat in fat cells

Conventional wisdom says that exercise is a key to weight loss - a no-brainer. But now, Tel Aviv University researchers are revealing that life as a couch potato, stretched out in front of the TV, can actually be "active inactivity" - and cause you to pack on the pounds.

2 Dec 2011

Scientists identify MEGF10 defective gene responsible for muscle weakness

An international team of researchers from England and the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin has presented new findings regarding the function of muscle stem cells, which are published in the current issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

23 Nov 2011

Researchers discover more about function of muscle stem cells

An international team of researchers from Leeds, London and Berlin has discovered more about the function of muscle stem cells, thanks to next-generation DNA sequencing techniques.

20 Nov 2011

Health supplement hope for child muscle disease

A health supplement used by bodybuilders could be the key to treating a life-threatening muscular dystrophy affecting hundreds of Australian children, new research shows.

14 Nov 2011

Study to explore how people with disabilities can better access personal health records

Personal health records have been going electronic, and patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers are learning to navigate the new digital world of health information. Now three institutions are teaming up to discover how a large population—people with disabilities—can best access this information.

8 Nov 2011

Manual wheelchair users can burn up to 120 calories in half an hour

A person who uses a manual wheelchair can burn up to 120 calories in half an hour while wheeling at 2 mph on a flat surface, which is three times as much as someone doing the same action in a motorized wheelchair.

29 Oct 2011

'Heroes of Hope Race for Brain Tumor Research' event to be held on Nov. 6

Veronica Cappalonga, 28, knows a lot about living with cancer. Diagnosed at age 6 with leukemia and at 22 with a malignant brain tumor, the Los Angeles (Mar Vista area) resident will walk in the Nov. 6 Heroes of Hope Race for Brain Tumor Research - not only to help fundraise, but also to show that survivors can fight these diseases with dignity.

29 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: If not CLASS, then what?; House GOP abortion bill; MLK's legacy in health care

Less than 3% of Americans have private long-term care policies. As Baby Boomers age, the problem will only get worse, which was a driving force behind a provision in the new health reform law that would have created a long-term care insurance program called the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.

21 Oct 2011

Paralyzed man moves robotic hand using mind

In a remarkable advance, a paralyzed man - Tim Hemmes - has managed to move a robot hand attached to his wheelchair only with the use of his mind. He was left paralyzed after a motorcycle accident. Moving a robot hand towards his girlfriend was a success for both the man and for the team of scientists at the University of Pittsburgh, who led and monitored the experiment.

11 Oct 2011

FARA announces 2011 Ataxian Athlete Initiative grant recipients

The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), in partnership with The FA Project, Catrike, Anna Maria Oyster Bar, and The Melting Pot are pleased to announce Bill Ramsey, Tom Trovinger, Mary Vida, and Patrick Cogan as the 2011 Ataxian Athlete Initiative (AAI) grant recipients.

10 Oct 2011

Third Annual Walk for Lupus Now! to take place in Richmond on Oct. 29

Purple passion will cap a month of pink ribbons—raising funds and awareness for people with lupus, a still-unknown disease. More than 1,000 people with lupus, their families, friends and co-workers dressed in purple will carry butterflies in the Third Annual Walk for Lupus Now! Richmond on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 3:00 p.m.

1 Oct 2011

Third Annual Cape Cod Walk 'n' Roll for FSH Muscular Dystrophy on October 1

Tomorrow, October 1, 2011, FSHD patients and their friends, advocates, and families will join in the Third Annual Cape Cod Walk 'n' Roll for FSHD.

1 Oct 2011

Men over 75 with prostate cancer are being undertreated: Study

It's an ongoing debate: Should men over a certain age be treated for prostate cancer? Should these patients be submitted to treatments that may result in significant side effects if they may not live very much longer?

27 Sep 2011

Scuba diving linked to improved PTSD symptoms in veterans with spinal cord injuries

A small group of veterans with spinal cord injuries who underwent a four-day scuba- diving certification saw significant improvement in muscle movement, increased sensitivity to light touch and pinprick on the legs, and large reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

19 Sep 2011