Why Us?

There are certain things you should look for and questions to ask when selecting a place for your rehabilitation and treatment. It is important to be confident about the quality of care you or your loved one will receive.

Motion Project is dedicated to improving the lives of those with a spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and other neurological disorders. We provide an intense, activity based exercise program working to achieve some of the most basic lifelong functions and benefits for our clients. We all know how important exercise is for overall health, even more important for those living with paralysis.

By specializing in this area, it enables our staff to develop high levels of expertise and achieve better results for our clients. When it comes to functional improvements, our clients have better outcomes and more independence.

What We Treat

Amputation
Stroke
ALS
MS
Mitochondrial Deficiencies
Neuropathy
Post-surgery strengthening

What is Activity Based Therapy?

Activity Based Therapy (ABT) uses tools and interventions to promote neuro-recovery to improve muscle activation or sensory function below the level of injury in the spinal cord. These interventions often involve weight-bearing through lower limbs, whole-body coordination exercises, developmental sequence activities, and task-specific training performed mainly out of the wheelchair, in positions where the trunk must work against gravity. This is often combined with facilitation or vibration techniques, functional electric stimulation, body weight supported locomotor training (manual or robotic); upper extremity robotics, task-specific patterned motor activity, and progressive resistance training to build strength and endurance.

Often at the individual’s own expense, this program offers the opportunity to continue work on recovery of function after conventional rehabilitation has been completed. Conventional therapy often focuses on the use of the preserved muscles to achieve compensatory functioning, whereas ABT attempts to activate muscles below the level of the lesion, with the goal of retraining the nervous system to recover a specific motor task.

ABT also benefits overall health and well being and can reduce potential secondary complications that result from paralysis. While there is no cure for spinal cord injuries or paralysis, the ultimate aim of rehabilitation is to facilitate the return to a productive and satisfying life

• Approximately 5,357,970 people living in the U.S. reported they were living with some form of paralysis, defined as the inability to move the upper or lower extremities.

• The leading cause of paralysis was stroke (33.7 percent), followed by spinal cord injury (27.3 percent) and multiple sclerosis (18.6 percent).

• Lengths of stay in the hospital acute care unit have declined to 11 days

• Lengths of stay in rehabilitation have declined 31 days

Motion Project Foundation and The Natalie Barnhard Center for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery is dedicated to improving the lives of those with a spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and other neurological disorders.

Our mission is to inspire those with various neurological injuries or disorders to rise above their challenges by promoting physical independence; and providing emotional support and spiritual healing to foster hope for a successful and fulfilling life.

Our new comprehensive facility is unique in Western New York, being the first and only place to offer services currently unavailable anywhere in the region or within 300 miles outside of WNY. Offering world leading robotic rehabilitation devices

A place for people to come to recover after a life-changing spinal cord injury. We never stop moving forward to bring the best outcomes for individuals as they progress through their journey toward recovery.

We provide :
• Activity Based Therapy
• State of the art equipment
• World Leading Robotics
• Exceptionally Trained Therapists
• Assistive technologies
• Peer Support
• Care Navigation
• Spiritual Guidance
• Adaptive sports and Recreation
• Community Center for Advocacy & Support

Along with our collaboration with the University of Buffalo we are going to implement outreach and education programs to elevate the voices of people living with paralysis and their families through education and outreach efforts in the areas of community-based long-term services and supports, enhanced family caregiver support, and access to rehabilitation technologies.

Please follow us and share pictures and comments on our social media:

www.motionprojectny.org
Instagram/ Twitter: @MotionProjectNY
Facebook/ LinkedIn: Motion Project Foundation

Our Equipment

ArmeoSpring

by Hocoma

The world’s first upper extremity concept that enables therapists to deliver higher training efficiency that provides arm weight support, the ArmeoSpring enables patients to use any remaining motor function and encourages them to achieve a higher number of reach and grasp movements based on specific therapy goals.

The ArmeoSpring allows simultaneous arm and hand training in an extensive 3D workspace with six degrees of freedom.
The ergonomic and adjustable exoskeleton of the ArmeoSpring embraces the whole arm, from shoulder to hand, and counterbalances the weight of the patient’s arm.

An extensive library of motivating game-like Augmented Performance Feedback exercises has been designed to train core movement patterns that are commonly used in activities of daily living.

Giger MD

The Giger MD hybrid is a medical device that allows for active simultaneous and coordinated movements of both upper and lower extremities. The hybrid model contains logic, arithmetic, and speech activities as well as visual biofeedback graphs that are preprogrammed into the software to improve cognitive skills during active motion. The Giger places the client in a horizontal position which eliminates the effects of gravity, therefore allowing him/her to perform the task without difficulty and/or place stress on the joints.

This device has been clinically shown to help the brain re-learn rhythmic patterns, such as walking, and connect upper and lower body movements. Clients who have benefited from this device include spinal cord injuries, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and other neurological disorders.

Madonna ICare

by Sports Art

The Madonna iCare is a motor assisted elliptical with body weight support that can help people with physical disabilities regain walking and fitness abilities. The iCare enables synchronous upper and lower limb movements similar to the natural walking pattern and clinically shown to improve muscle activation in the legs. Trainers can change the speed, resistance, body weight support, motor or non-motorized assistance, and stride length in order to accommodate nearly all individuals and ages with varying disabilities. A ramp is also included for easy setup access.

Published research on the Madonna iCare has demonstrated physiological improvements in individuals with stroke, SCI, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, Guillain-barré disease, and other neurological or physical impairments.

NuStep Transitt

by Transitt

The NuStep Transitt is an exercise machine that assists in strength and cardiovascular training. The Transitt has 12 preprogrammed exercises that are categorized based on exercise type or body region. Some of the programs that the Transitt offers are paddle-ball, climbing, and ankle control. Additionally, users can create their own account and are provided with real-time visual biofeedback for tracking their progress of motor control, strength, and endurance during a training session. The Transitt also calculates body weight to determine the appropriate exercise parameters.

Because of its inclusive design features, the Transitt allows for a low impact workout that benefits individuals of all ages, fitness levels, and injuries including but not limited to: spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and cerebral palsy. Increased circulation, stability, and range of motion of both upper and lower extremities are some of the many benefits to using the Transitt.

RT300 FES bike

The RT300 functional electrical stimulation (FES) bike is a motorized bicycle that combines functional electrical stimulation to maintain/increase muscle mass in leg and core muscles. Depending on the goal of the session, the motor can provide assistance or resistance while performing mass repetitions of rhythmic cycling. Leg movements are sequenced with FES evoked muscular contractions at the precise time and degree of rotation. The software provides biofeedback and data tracking for accurate measurements of physiological outputs.

The RT300 bike is designed for a wide range of neurological impairments. With wheelchair restraints, clients can safely secure themselves into the leg supports of the bike for proper alignment.

The Lokomat®

by Hocoma

The Lokomat® is the world leading robotic rehabilitation device that offers highly intensive, physiologic training. The Lokomat® improves the therapy outcome by providing highly intensive, individualized training in a motivational environment of constant feedback.

Advantages of Lokomat® Therapy:

• Effective Rehabilitation Training
Robot-assisted therapy enables effective and intensive training to increase the strength of muscles and the range of motion of joints.

• Most Physiological Movement
The physiological movement of the lower extremities is ensured by the individually adjustable patient interface. Additionally, the hip and knee joint angles can be adjusted during training to the patient’s specific needs.

• Optimal Patient Challenge
During rehabilitation, patients need to be challenged. Therapists can help patients reach their goals by setting the training parameters according to their performance.

• Increased Efficiency
The Lokomat® allows therapists to focus on the patient and the actual therapy. It enhances staff efficiency and safety, leading to higher training intensity, more treatments per therapist, and consistent, superior patient care.

• State-of-the-Art Gait Rehabilitation
Patients are increasingly more informed about what the most effective and efficient therapy is, and they use this information to decide where to go for their rehabilitation.

UpperTone

The UpperTone is an upper body workout machine designed for people with cervical spinal cord injuries. Designed by a person with quadriplegia, the UpperTone enables users to adjust resistance and exercises without any assistance or grip strength.

VibePlate

Our parallel bars include whole-body vibrations which are beneficial to clients who suffer from spinal cord injuries, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, amputations, transverse myelitis, and other neurological disorders. This stimulation has shown improvements with increased activity in the lower and upper extremities.

The theory is that vibration therapy assists with increasing bone density, reducing muscle spasticity, increasing muscle tone, improvements in balance, posture, and building muscle.

Improvement may occur with gait or walking function for those with incomplete spinal cord injury. Individuals with stroke have noticed postural improvement leading to fewer falls. For those with Parkinson’s disease, there could be an improvement in balance and function. For those with multiple sclerosis, improvement in lower leg strength, posture, spasticity, and function have been noted.

These may seem like small improvements for anyone’s therapy, but they can be extremely significant for quality of life and functional gains.

Xcite2

by Restorative Therapies

The Xcite2 FES utilizes functional electrical stimulation (FES) for task-specific activities. The FES targets peripheral nerves to facilitate muscular contractions during activities commonly used in daily living. Each pre-programmed task in the software is meticulously timed to activate specific muscles in a correct sequenced stimulation pattern to perform the prescribed activity.

With 40 pre-programmed integrated activities to help with activities of daily living such as hand strengthening, learning to grasp or feeding to postural re-training, transfers and upper/lower mobility skills – nearly any individual with neurological weakness or paralysis will benefit from using Xcite2.

Xcite2 enhances the impact of the traditional therapeutic activities that support muscle re-education by:

– Enhancing active muscle contractions
– Facilitating dynamic, reciprocal movement patterns for normalized input
– Providing patient feedback with an animated display and audio cues

ZeroG

The ZeroG is a robotic body weight support system used for gait and balance training. It can provide constant unloading, up to 95% of a client’s body weight, during movements and can be changed by pounds to alter therapy intensity. The ZeroG has a programmed sensor that anticipates and reacts to patient movements for fall protection during sessions. Real-time visual biofeedback is also provided using interactive balance training modules and games.

Balance recovery involving rapid compensatory stepping is essential to prevent falling. As the first technology to apply perturbations in a safe and controlled manner, ZeroG offers TRiP (training responses in postural rehabilitation) balance training during ambulation or stationary activities to improve stability and reduce risk of falls. Training sessions with the ZeroG can include sit to stands, crawling, overground walking, reaching tasks, balance training, and stair activities.

Staff