MRC News

Grenada clinic offers hands-on introduction to handcycling

Methodist Rehabilitation Center will offer a free introduction to handcycling from noon to 3:30 p.m. July 31 at Bingo World in Grenada.

One of several adaptive sports available at Methodist Rehab, handcycling is basically biking without the legwork, says Ginny Boydston, director of therapeutic recreation for the Jackson hospital.

“Riders sit in chair-style seats and pedal with their hands,” she explained. “It’s a great activity for wheelchair users who want to get some exercise and explore the outdoors.”

Meridian athletes to try hand at wheelchair fencing

Before cancer forced the amputation of her left leg at age 18, Lynn Gaddis of Meridian lived and breathed high school basketball.

Afterwards, she found other ways to be athletic. “In college, I could do a whole routine on the uneven parallel bars and dismount on one leg,” she said.

So it’s no surprise that she plans to join the action at a July 24 wheelchair fencing clinic at Highland Park in Meridian. At age 53, Gaddis still can’t resist the chance to test her mettle.

Wheelchair softball clinic puts paralyzed players back in the game

Jessica Cooper slapped her first baseball off a tee at age 3. And by age 13, she was playing varsity for the Madison Central High School softball team.

But after a car accident left her paralyzed, Jessica thought her dugout days were over – until she heard about a way to play softball on wheels. “How does that work?” she asked.

On May 30, Jessica plans to find out firsthand at a free wheelchair softball clinic from noon to 5:30 p.m. at Trustmark Park in Pearl. “I’m really looking forward to it,” said the 15-year-old Madison resident. “It will be doing what I love.”

Meridian clinic offers hands-on introduction to handcycling

Methodist Rehabilitation Center will offer a free introduction to handcycling from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 16 at the Frank Cochran Center in Highland Park in Meridian.

One of several adaptive sports available at Methodist Rehab, handcycling is basically biking without the legwork, says Ginny Boydston, director of therapeutic recreation for the Jackson hospital.

“Riders sit in chair-style seats and pedal with their hands,” she explained. “It’s a great activity for wheelchair users who want to get some exercise and explore the outdoors.”

Florence volunteer cheers patients at Methodist Rehabilitation Center with her handmade quilts

Warm and caring.

Those words describe Inge Thibodeaux, and the work she does, as well.

Her handmade quilts ward away the cold, and are a source of great comfort for patients of Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson.

Rebecca Harper of Florence was delighted when she recently received one of Thibodeaux’s creations, a fetching patchwork of colorful fabrics.

Mississippian chosen for U.S. wheelchair fencing team

Pick up your sword and fight for your country – it’s an offer that Brandon’s Joey Brinson couldn’t refuse.

This May, the 32-year-old will join the U.S. wheelchair fencing team for the World Cup competition in Montreal, Canada. And he’s hoping to parlay the experience into a slot in the 2012 Paralympics in London.

“I’m a wheelchair athlete and that’s the goal of a lot of athletes – to represent their country,” says Brinson, a paraplegic since age 17. “I’m just happy to get the shot.”

Adaptive bikes help paralyzed riders hit the road

When Wiley Clark goes for a bike ride, he leaves a wake of double-takes. Most people have never seen a cycle that you pedal with your hands.

“They take a good look at it,” said Clark, a Moss Point resident who lost the use of his legs in a 1980 car accident. “Kids say: Whoa, what is that?”

The answer is a handcycle. And those who want to learn more about the adaptive bike are invited to attend a free clinic from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. April 18 at the Jackson County Campus Gymnasium of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) in Gautier.

Back from the Brink

Reality bites.

For Karen Skeen of Madison, one of those horrifying moments built on circumstance, happenstance and uncertainty came back into focus the other day.

She rolled her wheelchair into the sixth-floor therapy room at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson and was sideswiped by the memories.

“When they first wheeled me in here, I burst into tears,” she says.

“We rolled right back out,” physical therapist Erin Bischofberger recalls.

Methodist Rehab clinics offer one-stop shop for people seeking pain relief

Searching for pain relief?

Then punch these coordinates into that GPS you got for Christmas – N32 19.655 W090 06.392 .

That’s the Flowood corner where four Methodist Rehab Center clinics work together to provide the area’s most comprehensive pain management services. All under one roof are Methodist Spine & Joint, Methodist Pain Management, Methodist Out-patient Rehabilitation and Methodist Neurological Rehabilitation.

Physician takes whole person approach to managing pain

In the war against chronic pain, Dr. Bruce Hirshman is something of a triple threat.

He is board certified in anesthesiology, pain management and osteopathic manipulation – a background that makes him especially effective in the battle against America’s No. 1 cause of long-term disability.

Dr. Hirshman recently joined Methodist Pain Management Center in Flowood, where his main role is to provide interventional pain techniques, such as steroid injections and nerve blocks.

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