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The Engagement and Peer Support SIG would like to bring the audience through the story of peer support from a historical perspective to its research implications. Teri, Erik, Shane, and Gill will provide how peer support came to be, what it looks like and how different it is, the magic behind it, and how to transform that magic to measurable outcomes and impacts.

Speakers

• Shane Sweet, Associate Professor, McGill University, Canada
• Gill Hilton, Austin Health, Australia
• Erik Berndtsson, Outreach Development Manager, RG Active Rehabilitation, Sweden
• Teri Thorson, Manager, Peer Coaching and Outreach, SCI British Columbia, Canada

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Key points:

• International collaboration is required to produce research that can be interpreted and applied across different regions
• As outcome measures and collection methods continue to evolve a methodical approach to updating research best practices is required
• A larger focus should be on including the thoughts of persons with lived SCI experience when defining research questions

Speakers

Dr. Fin Biering-Sørensen

Dr Michael Fehlings

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People with the lived experience of SCIs are one of the most vulnerable groups of in the world-both to the extreme heat and weather events which have increased in frequency because of climate change. Although health care professionals have an opportunity to educate their patients about actions they can use to protect themselves during these extreme weather events, many feel unprepared to discuss the topic. Moreover, health care professionals are beginning to experience moral distress about their inability to take action regarding this existential concern. The webinar will include participants from three continents and multiple disciplines. We will use the interactive platform mentimeter to facilitate the interaction of participants, expressing their feelings about climate change and about sharing their actions.

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Key points:

• This podcast summarizes the results of a rigorous evaluation of the evidence for physiotherapy interventions in spinal cord injury using the GRADE methodology
• Muscle strengthening exercises are effective for partially paralyzed muscles with MRC Grade 3 and 4 strength
• Further evidence is required in the optimal management of severely paretic muscles

Speaker:

Dr. Joanne Glinsky is an Associate Professor of Allied Health (Sydney Local Health District/University of Sydney) and a Senior Research fellow at the John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation (Kolling Institute/University of Sydney). She has a strong interest in physiotherapy management of people with Spinal Cord Injury and has worked for over 25 years as a clinician, educator and researcher in this field.

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Rebuilding a sense of meaning and purpose following trauma is a vital contributor to post-traumatic growth and adapting well to a spinal cord injury (SCI). This webinar shared the co-design process undertaken to develop a course that uses the concept of post-traumatic growth to foster a stronger sense of meaning and purpose after SCI. It presented the course facilitators' reflections on running the program for the last five years, its successes and challenges. Case studies were also used to demonstrate the impact of the course on participants.

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Points:

• Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a common emergency condition that neurosurgeons and spine surgeons deal with.
• The long term consequences and the impact on the person dealing with CES are poorly defined.
• This podcast explores the impact of CES on the person, including pain and autonomic dysfunction, and management strategies which can be implemented by health care professionals.

Nish's Affiliation: Nisaharan Srikandarajah is a Consultant Neurosurgeon specialising in complex spine at The Walton Centre and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at The University of Liverpool

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• Helen Smith (Ms) Consultant Clinical Psychologist
• Joe Robinson, Group member and co-facilitator, freelance artist and co-author of "The Very Alternative Guide to Spinal Cord Injury"

SCI is a rare condition, not well-understood outside specialist centres. Those who walk again are seen as "lucky" and not "disabled". In fact they have invisible disabilities, which take a heavy toll. Spending time with others with similar experiences, can help with their frustration and isolation. The literature has tended to focus on physical and surgical considerations, not lived experience.

A group was created in 2010 at our SCI Centre, providing Peer Support and information (invited speakers). It has been evaluated with positive results, and not required significant resources. Members derive benfit from contributing as well as receiving. It was presented at SCI conferences, but so far has not been replicated, except for two recent versions in the voluntary sector.

Not all ambuplegic people suit a group approach, but members report feeling better-informed to manage their unique challenges, better in mood, and supported by others who understand.

If you have any questions regarding this podcast, please contact Helen Smith at helen.smith35@nhs.net

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Dr. Michael G. Fehlings
discusses the future of stem cell therapies for spinal cord injury
with Intissar Mohcine & Asma Belarbi, high-school students from the Netherlands.

Key points:

1) Stem cells are a promising therapeutic approach to repair the damaged spinal cord following injury.

2) Preclinical studies have shown exciting improvements in spinal cord structure and motor function.

3) A number of issues still need to be resolved before stem cell therapy can be successfully utilized in the clinical setting.

The opinions of our host and guests are their own; ISCoS does not endorse any individual viewpoints, given products or companies.

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