If you have read through our PARC main page and are interested in joining our PARC study, please follow these four easy steps.
1. Check to see if you are eligible for this study
You can participate in this study if:
- you had a spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in chronic, complete or partial paraplegia or tetraplegia. Your spinal cord injury could be due to traumatic injury (e.g. vehicle accident, fall, impact by object, sports, or violence) or non-traumatic injury such as those caused by illness or congenital conditions (e.g. tumour, bacterial or viral infection, immune disorder, neurodegenerative disease, post-surgical complication, spina bifida);
- it has been determined by your doctor that it is safe for you to exercise (by completing a Parmed-X);
- you are in stable medical condition; and
- you are 18 years of age or older
You should not participate in this study if any of the following applies to you:
- You have any cardiovascular condition, musculoskeletal injuries, or any other health or medical condition for which exercise is contra-indicated;
- You had a brain injury (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury); or
- You have difficulty remembering things on a daily basis or performing other basic cognitive tasks (we may administer a test to assess this).
2. Complete a PARmed-X form with your physician.
You will need to have your physician fill out a Parmed-X form, confirming that you are cleared to participate in physical activity. A copy of this form can be found here.
3. Contact us to book an intake assessment
Once you and your physician have completed the PARmed-X form, you can contact us via phone (604-675-8814) or by email (parc@icord.org) to book an intake assessment date. The assessment will take no more than 1 hour. In this assessment, we will confirm your eligibility to participate in this study. We may also ask you some questions on your medical history and may ask you a series of questions testing your memory and basic cognitive skills. Most of the assessment consists of a battery of physical/questionnaire based examinations; some of them will require you to perform activities such as walking, arm cycling or strength-testing. The assessment consists of two questionnaires regarding your current physical activity levels and life satisfaction. It is all right if you are unable or do not want to perform all the tasks we ask you to do.
4. Once the assessment has been completed, you can now use PARC.
If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can now use PARC as much or as little as you like until your next assessment. Every 6 months you will be emailed a link to the same questionnaires you completed during the intake. Every 6 months, we will ask you to review the consent form to renew your consent to be involved in this study.
During your involvement in PARC, we will monitor your attendance and usage of the facility using built-in tracking software in the equipment as well as log books and sign-in sheets.
Your participation in the PARC study is voluntary. You have the right to refuse to participate in this study. If you decide to participate, you may still choose to withdraw from the PARC at any time without any negative consequences.
Check out our FAQ page for a list of answers to the questions we most frequently receive.
Contact us at parc@icord.org or call us at 604-675-8814 for more information or to sign up to use the facility.
