Treatment offers hope for NZers with spinal injuries

Former hang-gliding champion Geoff Dossetor will fly to the United States this week for ground-breaking treatment he hopes will benefit New Zealand spinal patients.

The Queenstown man, who runs a hang-gliding business, injured his spinal cord in a hang-gliding accident three years ago.

Mr Dossetor and his trainer, Eric Billoud, will spend almost a month at California-based Project Walk.

The centre practises an unconventional form of rehabilitation based on the spasms experienced by many paralysed people.

The ultimate result is to be able to walk again.

"You get these spasms and traditionally they tend to write you off and give you drugs to control them. These guys are trying to use them," Mr Dossetor said.

Paralysed United States actor Christopher Reeve has taken part in the programme.

Mr Dossetor, a strong believer in the power of positive thinking and hard work, will devote himself to rehabilitation when he returns.

He is determined to walk again but wants to use his visit to help others as well.

He and Mr Billoud will meet the instructors and try to persuade them to visit Queenstown with a view to setting up a New Zealand centre.

At the very least, they want to learn the theories themselves to bring back.