Overreaching in coordination dynamics therapy in an athlete with a spinal cord injury

A motocross athlete suffered a clinically complete spinal cord injury (SCI) during competition. Although MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) showed a complete spinal cord injury at the Thoracic 11/12 levels, surface EMG recordings indicated the survival of few tract fibres across the injury site. Six weeks after the accident the subject began intensive Coordination Dynamics Therapy (CDT) at an up-to-date therapy centre. The subject trained at his physical limits to induce structural and functional repair. Exercising at variable loads between 20 and 200N (on a special CDT and recording device) generated periods of overreaching and super-compensation. By plotting coordination dynamics values (kinesiology), including high-load exertion (200N) and hysteresis curves, periods of overreaching and super-compensation were made graphically visible. It was found that symmetrical improvements of central nervous system (CNS) functioning occurred during overreaching. Improvements in spinal cord functioning were achieved throughout one year of CDT in this chronically injured subject with an almost anatomically complete SCI. It is discussed that the measuring of CNS functions by means of recording coordination dynamics is a powerful and non-invasive tool ideal for exact quantitative and qualitative measurements of improvement (or change) in CNS functioning. Such diagnostics may be of particular importance in sport during training and before competition. Also, coordination dynamics might be used to measure the effects of prolonged exposure to reduced gravitational conditions on CNS functions, such as faced by astronauts.