
How We Move
How We're Wired
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Adapting to Spinal Cord Injuries
Proprioception or kinesthusia is the sense of where your body is in space. It's mediated by special nerve cells in muscles, tendons and joints. And it's also critical for how our brains create controlled movements of our bodies. But if those connections are severed like in a spinal cord injury, not only is it impossible for the brain to direct the muscles to move, but it can't feel how the muscles need to move either. Michelle had a complete spinal cord injury meaning he had no remaining connections between his brain and his spinal cord below the rib cage. In addition to being unable to move the lower half of his body, he can't feel sensations there either.
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