What’s Unique about Our Program?

Project Walk is a pioneer in exercise-based recovery and has been treating SCI clients for over a decade. The SCI Recovery Specialists in our Carlsbad headquarters alone see an average of 28,000 client hours each year. It is this knowledge and experience that makes our program unlike any other. Below you will find some of the things that make our program unique:

IMPROVED LEVEL OF FUNCTION

The majority of our clients improve function below their injury level and we have the research to prove it.¹ This is a major difference between Project Walk and other exercise-based programs.

NO MEDICATIONS

Many of our clients find that after starting our program they are able to decrease or completely eliminate their medication programs.

WHEELCHAIR FREE

All of the exercises you do at Project Walk will be completed outside of the wheelchair. The emphasis is on load-bearing activities that may help increase function, bone density, muscle mass, sensation, and circulation.^1,2,3

IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE

The combination of exercise and decrease in medication ultimately may result in an increase in health and an improved quality of life. Through an intense exercise program your body may become more resilient to common SCI ailments such as pressure sores, urinary tract infections, blood pressure problems and poor circulation.

SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT

At Project Walk you will meet clients who have been in the program for a while or have just started. These clients have similar stories to you and can help you understand the recovery process; you are not alone during the process you will have the support of your peers, and Specialists who work with spinal cord injuries on a daily basis.

HOPE

Everyone needs hope. Without hope you can’t recover. You will find throughout our center that hope is not discouraged but found within our staff and most importantly our clients.

RESEARCH

Over the past several years, Project Walk has embarked on an ambitious research agenda. Through partnering with universities, hospitals, and other non-profits we have been able to design and implement various projects that have led to publications in multiple peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences (please see the Research section of the website for more information).  This research allows us to refine and evolve our program in ways that other programs cannot.

EDUCATION

Project Walk offers the only educational program in the world that teaches The Dardzinski Method to outside therapists and trainers. This program is built upon Project Walk research and more than a decade pushing the barriers of SCI recovery. Our staff and global network of Certified SCI Recovery Trainers™ and Certified Facilities continue to learn and develop their skills in association with the Project Walk Institute of SCI Recovery.

1. Harness ET, Yozbatiran N, Cramer SC. Effects of intense exercise in chronic spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2008 46(11), 733–737
2. Astorino TA, Witzke KA, Harness ET. Efficacy of multimodal training to alter bone mineral density and body composition in persons with spinal sord injury: a case study. Poster session presented at: 29th Annual Meeting of the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine; 2009 Oct 23-24; San Diego, CA.

3. Yozbatiran N, Harness ET, Le V, Luu D, Lopes CV, Cramer SC. A tele-assessment system for monitoring treatment effects in subjects with spinal cord injury. J Telemed Telecare 2010; 16(3): 152-157.