Some don't let injuries keep them from taking giant steps

Project Walk pushes people with spinal cord damage to new independence

By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Oct 25, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Persistence, diligence and hard work are making great strides at Project Walk in Beaverton.

The nonprofit recovery center is helping people with devastating spinal cord injuries gain greater independence, improve their health and regain control of movements in their body.

“I’m a lot stronger and a lot more independent,” said Kip Johnson, who participates in an intense exercise-based recovery program offered by the team at Project Walk. “I keep pushing forward and the improvements come little by little every week.”

The 22-year-old college student injured his C5-6 vertebrae in a skiing accident four years ago when he crashed and slid into a tree.

A year after his injury, he began training sessions with Project Walk’s international center in Carlsbad, Calif.

When the Beaverton center opened its doors in June 2006 at 9923 S.W. Arctic Drive, Johnson was one of its first clients.

Since then, he has served as an ambassador for the program, reaching out to provide hope to others healing from similar spinal cord injuries at Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital in Portland.

“I try to let people know that life isn’t over,” Johnson said. “There is still a lot of stuff they can do. Even though they are in a chair now, it’s not the end.”

Clients at Project Walk are proving that spinal cord injuries do not always mean a life in a wheelchair and that recovery is possible, said Nat Willis, facility business manager at the Beaverton center.

“Many of our clients are told that they won’t heal below the injury site, but we are seeing gains in function,” he said. “Where we’ve seen the biggest gains is when clients come to us right after they leave the hospital.

“We’ve found that our clients have greater independence, less reliance on medication, better overall health and increased bone density, muscle mass and circulation.”

They are also less susceptible to bladder infections, pressure sores and other ailments.

Clients work one-on-one with a recovery specialist three times a week at the Beaverton center. For two to three hours, clients are out of their wheelchairs and working every muscle of their body.

“Each workout is specifically designed for our clients with their strengths and weaknesses in mind,” said Jerod Warf, lead certified spinal cord injury recovery specialist. “We try to bridge the gap between what they have and what they want.”

Controlled movement

Project Walk specialists follow The Dardzinski Method, working with clients through five phases of recovery.

In every workout, trainers focus on stimulating the central nervous system with load-bearing exercises while also incorporating rotational movement for every joint in the body, Warf explained.

“The goal is to take the chair out of their body,” he said. “We work toward assisted, uncontrolled movement to turn into controlled movement.”

“It’s a step-based program with goals,” Willis added. “The ultimate goal is to walk, the short term goal is to increase independence and improve overall health.

“Each person progresses through the phases at a different rate, but we’ve observed that there are definite patterns to watch for as people heal.”

For Johnson, the progress has been slow and steady.

“He’s always progressing forward and it’s wonderful to see,” said Lisa Johnson, Kip’s mother. “Being a mom you always watch for improvement. They are so small, but they mean so much.

“It’s a blessing having Project Walk here.”

There’s nothing better than seeing a client regain function, movement and sensation in their body that had been lost, Warf said.

Willis agreed.

“Returns are possible – we see them every day,” he added. “Our recovery specialists are always looking forward.

“They try to see the next step that needs to be made. The body wants to heal and will respond to consistent stimulation. We want our clients to push as hard as they can.”