As we reflect on the past year, the United Spinal Association’s Northeast Ohio Chapter would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have supported us throughout 2024. Your dedication to building a strong, connected SCI community across Northeast Ohio has made this year truly special. Thank You for a Successful 2024 Fundraiser! A...Continue Reading

Researchers in the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Home and Community-Based Services at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab are looking for people who receive HCBS to pilot test surveys designed to evaluate the person-centeredness of their services. Participants will undergo a brief screening and consent call (Zoom or phone, unpaid) and will complete two or more 10-minute surveys...Continue Reading

The Power of Connection: 3 Benefits of Meeting Up with Peers Are you looking for a way to connect with others in your community? Join us for our first “Connect-In the Community” Meet-Up on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 4 PM at FatHeads Brewery in Middleburg Heights! This informal gathering is perfect for socializing, building...Continue Reading

by Kim Anderson, PhD What is SeePain? Chronic pain is something that, unfortunately, many people with SCI live with.  In fact, up to 80% of people with SCI develop some kind of pain within the first year of injury.  Chronic pain is pain that lasts for at least three months, and oftentimes it lasts for...Continue Reading

MetroHealth is thrilled to announce the return of its annual Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Forum, an educational and empowering event designed specifically for individuals living with spinal cord injuries and related disorders. The 2025 SCI Forum will take place on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST. Mark your calendars and...Continue Reading

It was August 2023.  I was out late with friends, having fun.  I turned down the wrong street, and my life forever changed.  There was a crowd standing outside in the street.  I was just driving through, and they started shooting at my car – with a bullet piercing my back. I am now paralyzed...Continue Reading

The Model System Knowledge and Translation Center (MSKTC) is a national center that helps facilitate the knowledge translation process to make research meaningful to those with Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Burn Injury. In previous articles, we have featured the Factsheets on Autonomic Dysreflexia, Managing Pain, Wheelchair Information, and more.  While it is...Continue Reading

Sami Ullah, MDA medical condition called autonomic dysreflexia (AD) can happen to people who have had a spinal cord injury, especially if the injury is above the T6 level. It is marked by a quick rise in blood pressure that could be dangerous and needs to be treated right away. Here are some useful tips...Continue Reading

Since joining Metrohealth’s SCI research team four months ago, a simple but common theme has emerged when using injury terminology with participants and their families: it’s complicated.  Many researchers and clinicians choose to introduce standardized medical terms to participants in hopes of helping with understanding but forget how hard it can be to deduce meaning...Continue Reading

Sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI) causes tremendous stress – physically, mentally, and emotionally.  While acute stress (or stress that doesn’t last long) helps you function in the moment, long-term (chronic) stress can damage your body and it’s ability to function properly. Chronic stress can damage your body in three major ways: impaired digestion, adrenal...Continue Reading