vertical challenge

It’s now 2010… So, where’s my jet pack?

Disability research integration is not happening. Not like it needs too. I’ve seen the problem from several points of view now and feel justified in a little rant. Scientists generally hate mixing with business, but this is the reality. The business of keeping a lab open and publishing regularly is difficult and in direct conflict with the new buzz words: “Community Driven, practical solutions” which are ignored when the main funding sources want cures worthy of the cover of Time Magazine.

I raised money and ran for Rick Hansen back in the 80’s. The talk back then was “one day soon, they’ll be able to fix spinal cords.” My injury was in 1994 and I still hear “five, ten years guys, stay healthy because the cure is coming.” Showing the above video to a friend got this response…”but on side note they did seem genuine, and nice people (for whatever that means or is worth)”. The reason solutions take so long is simple: follow the money. Sad but true.

The SCI community requests are simple. Blader, bowel, and sex. Motor control almost always comes after these basic human functions. We want to feel normal again. There are lots of web forums where SCI communities can share information and personal experiences, but rarely will there be a real doc or even a PhD in there to bring the newly published info to the group.

What to do when community needs are ignored because the research funding goes to the “glamorous science?” Tough spot. My point is that we are getting slowed down for the wrong reasons. We should be much further along by the year 2010, but political pressure needs to be applied to science and educational organizations. The scientific community is well known to have a horrendous record for conflicts of interests so despite good intentions talk will continue to be just talk. So screw the jet pack, I’d just like to feel normal on date nights again, which if anyone cared to look it up was far above walking when you ask people living with SCI.

So, what we are really looking for is publications this from DHRN

Candice explains how a paraplegic and a quadriplegic differ in exercise response.

As part of the Annual CSEP Conference, I was invited to give an hour talk on our rock climbing efforts.

Presenter 2: Brad Zdavinsky (VerticalChallenge.org)
•Overcoming Obstacles: The Story of a Tetraplegic’s Drive to Beat the Odds and Challenge Beliefs in His Pursuit to Climb (15:00-16:00)

(not my title)

My slides as a PDF (NOTE: is 30mb file, so “save as”)

I found this to be a very well run event (great staff really makes the difference). My slides were more of a story about living with SCI and having goals outside of the normal rehabilitation parameters. So I chopped out many charts and graphs.. and glad I did. The hour went quickly and had just enough time to take a few questions. (Thank you Candice for running my slides)

Thanks again to Dr. Warburon for the invitation to present my point of view on rehab, education and risk taking.

I’ve seen “Dr K” at his clinic and recommend him to anyone dealing with Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD). I’ve copied an article here to make sure it doesn’t disappear.

http://www.webcommunications.ubc.ca/ubc2010/2009/04/28/researcher-aims-to-end-paralympic-boosting/

DR ANDREI KRASSIOUKOV

Dr. Andrei Krassioukov wants the International Paralympic Committee to change how athletes are evaluated – Photo by Martin Dee

If Dr. Andrei Krassioukov gets his way, the days of some Paralympic athletes putting their lives in danger to increase their athletic performance may be over.

Despite an international ban on the practice, some Paralympic athletes with spinal cord injuries are using a dangerous technique called “boosting” to increase their blood pressure in the heat of competition.

Dr. Krassioukov, aDr. Krassioukov studies autonomic dysfunctions, which are dysfunctions in the parts of our bodies not under our conscious control. People with spinal cord injuries experience not only paralysis and loss of sensation, but often have trouble with autonomic functions such as blood pressure, heart rate and bladder and bowel control.
Consequently, during competition a wheelchair athlete’s heart rate doesn’t increase according to the body’s demands, leading to low blood pressure, fatigue, poor performance and a loss of endurance.

“That’s a big disadvantage to people with spinal cord injuries,” he says.

Yet many athletes learn they can subvert these cardiovascular dysfunctions by causing some pain or discomfort in the area below their injury. Known as autonomic dysreflexia, the process stimulates the spinal cord and boosts arterial blood pressure.

It also puts their life in jeopardy.

Some athletes will tighten or block their catheter, a tube used to drain urine from the bladder through the urethra.

Some men will break their big toe before the competition. Others will sit on their testicles during a match.

“They know if they sit on their genitalia, their blood pressure will go up,” he says.

Others use less dramatic methods: abdominal binders or pressure stockings on legs that help increase blood pressure.

Despite documented deaths and the potential for a stroke or intracranial hemorrhage, some Paralympic athletes injure themselves just to improve performance, Dr. Krassioukov says.

“Unfortunately the physiological condition of the body predisposes them to poor cardiovascular responses to exercise, but they’re trying to ameliorate or improve their exercise with these horrific measures.”

The International Paralympic Committee condemns the practice, yet it’s difficult to enforce.

Last year, Dr. Krassioukov and his colleagues submitted a proposal to the International Paralympics Committee to develop additions to Paralympic classifications that would include an evaluation of a Paralympic athlete’s autonomic functions. (Presently, the committee reviews only a person’s physical capacity, such as hand functioning, range of motion and balance in a wheelchair).

To this effort, researchers last year examined five Paralympic rugby teams, from Canada, Germany, Russia, Britain and Australia, during competitions in Burnaby, just before the Beijing Games. Basketball players are next on the agenda.

This year, Dr. Krassioukov has proposed an assessment of members of the sledge hockey and curling teams at the upcoming 2010 Winter Paralympic Games.
The findings will be used to make recommendations to the International Paralympic Committee regarding the addition of autonomic components to athlete classifications.

“If we will introduce an autonomic component to classification, maybe this will allow a more fair and safe competition for all Paralympians,” he said.

Well, it happens. Sometimes our partners let us down sexually, but a vibrator should never fail, should never leave you pent up and stressed. The low end (under 100 dollars) vibrators are reliable because in the volumes they sell there must be quality control. But in SCI (spinal cord injury) we get the shaft. Small population of users, so highly priced equipment. The lower volume of sales, means the manufacturer requires higher margins — basic economics. The best solution is a mass produced device that works for everyone with simple adjustments, but that is asking for allot actually.

Reading about vibrator quality from a male quadriplegic seems a touch odd to you? Well, that is why I’m writing about it. After a spinal cord injury we really just want to feel normal, and the basic bodily functions are a always affected. Worse, some folks with spinal cord injuries simply cut off sexual activities because they don’t dare mess with Autonomic_dysreflexia (AD), or are embarrassed about the topic in general. (quads are strongly warned about AD in rehab)

The good news is that even long after in injury, the body can be retrained. With the right feedback, this can be done safely and gets easier over time. I’m almost 15 years into my injury and only getting a proper education now, and I’ve had to do much on my own because apparently this is taboo. Yes it may sound strange to overhear a few guys in chairs talking about their erections, volume and color of loads, but really… that is what much of our happiness and fears center around. Stay tuned on this thread and I’ll give advice on how to get away from relying on the blue pill on date nights. Think able bodied sex can be intimidating and nerve wracking regarding performance, well SCI adds a whole new level of complexity and potential risks (AD, embarrassment)

Enter the Ferticare: an over-priced vibrator that will let you down. At 800 bucks, this is a painful purchace and even worse thing to RMA. If you are used to the medical benefits of ejaculation, not having your device for a few weeks, or even months, is a real problem. It is not the motor, but some cheap battery and charger parts and charging issues. So, the warranty is up on mine, it won’t charge so… WE FIX. Because this is considered a “Medical Device” it can’t use power from the wall, but there is no reason to skimp on power — clearly more power is better? No, actually not. What makes this vibrator different is the ability to change both the frequency and amplitude to tune it to the signal that works for you. You should see your Doctor before inducing AD (see Boosting).

So, this page will hold the efforts to make a smarter vibrator for Quadriplegics, and I’ll give away a hint… controlling the speed of the device from Heart Rate and Blood Pressure is the key to being able to successfully ejaculate regularly. (must be on a regular basis to get the benefits). I will post my Heart Rate and Blood Pressure data here as I test if ejaculation is better than Boosting. In other words, does this routine help fitness? Most say it makes them tired, but what it does do is limit muscle spasm when I reach my max heart rate of 120 beats per minute. This lets me continue when I’d ordinarily get shut down. We already know that vibration stimulation can raise pressure in the arteries for a short time and this can mitigate OH (dizziness when sitting up, common in rehab). Also, regular ejaculation helps prevent “retraction” as well. Retraction really freaks people out because with AD setting in, the penis can be pulled right inside one’s body. In many cases this means the person’s condom drainage pulls off and they wet their pants — very embarrassing.

More info in this article on disaboom regarding SCI and Sexual function

Please share links to SCI forms on this topic if you have them,Thanks.
Brad

Related devices:

1. sex chair
2. erection support device
3. sex positioning pillows
4. real touch (world’s first robotic vagina)
5. TED talk on Medical Inventing

The iCord building (Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, VGH) has a 3 story ramp and is a perfect test of wheeling ability and fitness.

DR. Andrei Krassioukov measures change in Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in a quadriplegic vs a paraplegic.

Combined Results

T4 Data (normal response)

C5 Data (Post Exercise Hypotension)

Background information on Post Exercise Hypotension

More Information:
Open Source Heart Rate Monitoring
iCord