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Media Inquiries: 434-924-5679 U.VA. HEALTH SYSTEM FIRST IN STATE TO GET NEW BIKE FOR PARALYZED PATIENTS |
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Brad Page used to be a safety for his high school football team until an on-field tackle went wrong and left him paralyzed from his chest down. Now the 24 -year-old finds hope in a new therapeutic recumbent bicycle that allows paralyzed patients to turn the wheels with their legs. The Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center at the University of Virginia Health System is the first institution in Virginia to acquire the Galaxy Cycle, which uses electrodes to stimulate the muscles of the legs to move in appropriate directions for peddling. With this machine, physicians expect to see an increase in flexibility in their paralyzed patients. “The muscles below the level of a spinal cord injury tend to get stiffer,” said Dr. Sydney Rice, medical director for the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center. “There are medications that work well for increasing flexibility, but they can also cause certain side effects like drowsiness. There may also be evidence that these medications slow the healing process in the spinal cord.” With the Galaxy Cycle, Rice said, patients can avoid having to take medications and possibly having to deal with other secondary illnesses that wheelchair-bound patients can develop. “We need to move or redistribute our weight by shifting in our seats. People with spinal cord injuries can’t feel the need to shift so pressure sitting on those muscles can cause ulcerations, which are very difficult and expensive to treat,” Rice said. The average cost of a procedure to treat skin ulcerations on paralyzed patients is $70,000, while the price of the Galaxy Cycle was less than $20,000. Other expected advantages for patients are increased bone density, which typically comes from walking, better cardiovascular fitness and a reduced need for medications traditionally used for flexibility. In the meantime, Page looks forward to increasing his strength and enjoying a better and more active lifestyle. “My faith is strong so I’m just hoping this can be like another stepping stone to where one day I just get back up and start walking again,” he said. July 7, 2003 |