Spinal cord injury: from rehabilitation to community to sports

The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport (PHC) leads significant multi-disciplinary research in the field of disability, including spinal cord injury (SCI) – supporting people across the spectrum of rehabilitation, community and sports.

The need to develop international research and innovative partnerships that address global challenges has perhaps never been more pressing. Loughborough’s long history on the international stage has far-reaching impacts and work continues despite the new obstacles we face.

Volume magazine has taken a look at some of the research projects taking place across the University that address theses challenges:  

"The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport (PHC) leads significant multi-disciplinary research in the field of disability, including spinal cord injury (SCI) – supporting people across the spectrum of rehabilitation, community and sports.

The Centre has forged vital research collaborations with internationally respected colleagues worldwide, encouraging them to extend their research into Para Sport. The work spans three key areas.

Rehabilitation: A partnership with Wakayama Medical University has resulted in five published articles, two joint international conferences, and researcher exchanges between Japan and the UK.

Physical activity: Work with leading European and North American partners has led to the development of international exercise guidelines for adults with SCI. The dedicated website has received 3,968 visits to date.

Paralympic sport: The PHC leads high-impact research into the performance of elite athletes, and contributed to ParalympicsGB achievements at the Rio 2016 Olympics. This success has led to further international collaborations within the Paralympic Movement, including with colleagues in Sweden (Paracanoe), Holland (Wheelchair Rugby) and Australia (Wheelchair Tennis).

The Centre’s international partnerships have developed new scientific knowledge and created a research dissemination network spanning the globe."

Read Volume: Research Without Boundaries in full here.