United Spinal Association of Northeast Ohio

11/25/2025

🏥💙 Looking for a Primary Care Provider who gets your SCI or embraces a team-based care approach?
Our SCI Medical Home Clinic is here to support your unique needs with specialized, coordinated care. Learn more in our Connections Newsletter and sign up today: https://bit.ly/3JtUobg

11/24/2025

is proud to collaborate with program to develop resources including factsheets, videos, narrated slideshows, quick reviews, etc. Learn more about what to expect from an inpatient rehabilitation program at

What You Need to Know Before Choosing an Inpatient Rehabilitation Center After a spinal cord injury (SCI), people need rehabilitation (rehab) to help them reach the highest level of functional independence. Many health care facilities offer rehab programs, but a limited number have expertise and exp...

11/21/2025

💙 You’re Not Alone — We’re Here for You!
Navigating life after a spinal cord injury or diagnosis can feel like a lot, but you don’t have to do it on your own. 🤝
Through the United Spinal Association Northeast Ohio’s Peer Mentoring Program, you can connect with someone who’s walked a similar path — ready to listen, support, and share what’s helped them thrive. 💬
✨ Benefits of connecting with a peer mentor:
Gain practical tips and advice for everyday challenges.

Build confidence and hope through shared experiences.

Take the first step toward connection today: www.usaneo.org/connect-in

The goal of the Connect-In Peer Mentoring Program is to enhance supportive relationships within the spinal cord injury/ related disorders (SCI/D) community, sharing knowledge and experience, and providing an opportunity to learn from different perspectives.

11/20/2025

The last couple of times Ian Ruder tried to hire a caregiver, you would have thought I was asking for volunteers on a su***de mission. Despite offering significantly more than minimum wage, my posts were received as enthusiastically as Congress proposing to cut Social Security.

We've covered the caregiver crisis facing our nation multiple times over the last few years, but there's no getting around the fact that things seem more dire than ever. So let’s first look at the crisis facing caregiving in America, and then at what we can do to make the best of a difficult situation.

The sad fact is there is nothing funny about the current caregiver shortage in America.

11/19/2025

💡 New research opportunity for individuals with SCI!
Bowel control can be one of the toughest challenges after spinal cord injury. This study is exploring whether gentle electrical stimulation of the skin in the pelvic area can help reduce reflexes that cause bowel accidents — supporting greater independence and confidence in daily life. 🦽✨
Interested in learning more? Contact Mayson Moore at 📧 mmoore12@metrohealth.org or 📞 216-957-3518.

11/18/2025

💪✨ Get moving with Help Hope Live and W.O.W. Wonders on Wheels!
Join a live virtual wheelchair fitness class on Tuesday, Nov 18 at 6 PM ET — designed for all ability levels and full of fun, energy, and community! 🦽🎶
Stay active, stay strong, and make fitness FUN all year long! 🙌
👉 Register here:

W.O.W. Fitness & Wellness will be offering four free fitness classes each month to help you stay active and feeling great! W.O.W. knows that the secret to achieving your fitness goals is to make fitness FUN! These classes are wheelchair-inclusive but open to anyone who wants to participate – all f...

11/17/2025

🕖 Happening Tonight! Don’t Miss Out!
Join us tonight at 7 PM EST for the USANEO Chapter’s November Monthly Meeting! 💙
We’re thrilled to welcome Erin Sandridge from the Center for Stroke and Hand Recovery, who will be sharing the programs and services available at the Center — a fantastic resource for anyone interested in recovery and rehabilitation. 💪
💻 This is your last chance to sign up!
👉 Register now: www.usaneo.org/calendar

We meet the 3rd Monday of every month virtually, via Zoom. Meetings include an educational talk by a medical provider and/or information about recreation opportunities in our area.

11/14/2025

Have you wondered about how to become more active after a spinal cord injury, but weren’t sure how or where to start?

Join Help Hope Live on Monday, November 17, at 4 p.m. ET to learn more about the importance of staying active after a spinal cord injury. They will be joined by Megan L’Esperance and Amy Rixon, from the Kelly Brush Foundation, Dianne Vitkus, Help Hope Live Ambassador and part of the Kelly Brush Foundation Active Project, and Andy Zimmer, SCI Outreach Representative with Help Hope Live.

The panel will be discussing how the Kelly Brush Foundation can help you stay active, the grants they have available, the programs they offer, and their Active Project. Dianne and Andy will also share how they stay active after spinal cord injury.

Register with the link below

11/14/2025

💪 Regain Function. Reclaim Independence.
The Tetraplegia Management Clinic (TMC) at MetroHealth, in partnership with the United Spinal Association Northeast Ohio Chapter and the NORSCIS Research Team, is helping individuals with spinal cord injuries take the next step in their rehab journey. 🌟
Through innovative approaches like nerve transfers, tendon transfers, and neuroprosthesis research, the TMC team works with you to design a personalized plan that fits your goals and maximizes your function. 🙌
From assessment to recovery, their team of skilled physiatrists, surgeons, therapists, and researchers are with you every step of the way.
🔗 Learn more about how the TMC can help restore upper extremity function: www.usaneo.org/blog

31OctMSKTC Resource: Adjusting to Life After SCIUSANEO AdminConnections Newsletter Article, Mental Health, NORSCIS Research, Resourcesmental health, norscis, research, spinal cord injury, usaneo0 The MSKTC works closely with researchers in the 14 Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model System Centers to deve...

11/13/2025

Friday, November 14, at 2 PM ET: "In Sickness and In Health: Caregiver Resiliency in Spousal and Partner Relationships" features four couples with one partner living with paralysis. Join the Reeve Foundation for a real and honest conversation with four couples who’ve been there. They’ll share how they navigate caregiving, keep their relationship strong, and support each other through it all.
Register for the In Sickness and In Health webinar at

In relationships where one partner is living with paralysis, dynamics can change in big ways—especially if one partner is providing care to the other. How do couples stay connected, communicate well, and avoid burnout? Join us for a real and honest conversation with four couples who’ve been ther...

11/13/2025

🧠✨ Think you’ve got what it takes?
It’s time to test your trivia skills, outsmart your friends, and have a blast — all while supporting a great cause! 🌟 Enjoy exciting rounds of trivia, tasty drinks, and the chance to win some amazing prizes.
🧡 Grab your crew (up to 5 teammates if you’d like), mark your calendars, and get ready for a night by the water filled with laughter, competition, and community spirit.
Don’t miss the 6th Annual “A Night of Trivia” Fundraiser — it’s going to be one for the books! 📅
👉 Learn more: https://usaneo.org/2025trivia/

11/12/2025

Thursday, November 13, at 3 PM ET: "The Power of Connection: Why Community Matters for Mental Health" will be presented by Dr. John Chang and Nurse Linda. This webinar is the first in the Reeve Foundation's new mental health webinar miniseries. Join Nurse Linda and Dr. John, a licensed psychologist living with paralysis and Distinguished Professor at East Stroudsburg University, for a conversation on creating connection, combatting loneliness, the impact of caregivers on your mental health, and more. Leave with practical solutions to build meaningful relationships, find support, and stay connected—no matter where you are on your journey.

Register for The Power of Connection webinar at

The Power of Connection: Why Community Matters for Mental Health Living with paralysis can involve various challenges–not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too. Feelings of isolation, stress, and even depression are common. But there’s something that can make a big difference: commun...