Bicycle helps spinal injury patientsRSS Feed

A new bicycle could be used to help people with a spinal injury, with one patient feeling the benefit of the treatment.

Ricky Palermo was injured in a car crash 30 years ago, and is usually paralysed from the chest down with limited arm movement, reports thedailynewsonline.com.

The bicycle is a specially built model which is designed to help people with spinal injury, and Mr Palermo explained to the website that it "works off the energy" in his body.

He was one of six people in the US to participate in a pilot program run by the University of Miami in 1986.

The bike's computer acts as a substitute spinal cord, using electrical impulses to trigger users' muscles.

"When I got hurt I couldn’t get any exercise. I didn’t want to start getting heavy and go through all that ... If it wasn’t for this bike I wouldn’t have any exercise. I’d only get my range-of-motion from my nurses," said Mr Palermo.

Serious Law, award winning spinal injury law firm

Posted by Matthew Heap
 

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