Discussion
The SCI-MT Trial when completed will be one of the largest physiotherapy intervention trials yet to be conducted in the area of SCI. The trial addresses an important question. That is, does intensive Motor Training provided soon after injury promote neurological recovery and improve function? The results of this trial will provide the much-needed evidence for this promising intervention.The description of the intervention is provided in as much detail as possible but one short paper can never substitute for undergraduate, postgraduate, and clinical training in the physiotherapy (and occupational therapy) management of people with SCI. There are many assumed skills that underpin the intervention. Of course, some would argue that this is a weakness of the trial. We however argue that the trial is pragmatic and needs to test the effectiveness of an intervention as it would typically be administered in the clinical setting [There is a risk that people with recent SCI will not tolerate 12 h of additional therapy each week so soon after injury, or they will not receive this amount of therapy for other unforeseen reasons. These concerns were not explored in a feasibility study per se as the intervention was based on current practice and includes components that have been examined in similar previous studies [In all, this paper provides the details of the Motor Training provided as part of the SCI-MT Trial. The details will increase transparency and help interpret the future results of the trial. This paper may also help those not trained in physiotherapy to appreciate some of the nuances of providing task-specific training to people with SCI. And while repetitious practice of purposeful movements is central to task-specific training, there are many other important principles that must also be followed.