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Paralysis treatment program seen as cutting edge at University of Montana

The New Directions lab at the University of Montana http://physicaltherapy.health.umt.edu/ is on the cutting edge of treating paralysis by training the body to do what it knows how to do but cannot complete because of trauma to the spinal cord.

Kolter Beneitone cannot feel his feet. There is no sensation in his legs. Suspended in the harness is like being in space, he says. His sweatpants are bunched around his knees, but his sneakers are worn, as if he has run a marathon.

The training harness carries half his weight and it keeps him from falling. Physical therapy students at the University of Montana position his legs, helping with each little step as the treadmill churns below him.

This is as close to walking as Beneitone has come since an auto accident left him paralyzed below the waist last March. For a paraplegic, walking might seem an empty hope, but his progress says otherwise.

"He’s been so positive," said Michelle Cole, who keeps a close watch on Beneitone, her son. "Part of it is his perseverance. He’s not going to give up. It’s something he’s going to accomplish. His mind is set on it."

Written by
Martin Kidston

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20130412/NEWS01/304120042/Paralysis-treatment-program-seen-cutting-edge-UM

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