Whether it is a birth defect or an accident, the news that someone has lost the ability to walk is a devastating blow. For many years the news of paralysis was a permanent side effect. Thankfully, in the recent past, many medical and technological advancements have been able to give hope to those who have become paralyzed, a realistic hope that they will be able to walk again.
The Future is Bright
One of the most recent studies conducted, called STIMO (STImulation Movement Overground), has established a new therapeutic regimen to excel recovery from spinal cord injuries. All participants in the study were able to recover voluntary control of leg muscles that had been paralyzed for years. To top it off, neurological function lasted beyond training sessions, even when the electrical stimulation was no longer on. “All the patients could walk using body weight support within one week. I knew immediately that we were on the right path,” adds CHUV neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch, who surgically placed the implants in the patients, she goes on to say, “The targeted stimulation must be as precise as a Swiss watch. In our method, we implant an array of electrodes over the spinal cord which allows us to target individual muscle groups in the legs.”
A Pricey Alternative
A pervious technology, the ReWalk system, shown great results in the paraplegic, but it is quite pricey. ReWalk is a battery-powered robotic exoskeleton that attaches to the legs and lower back. It contains motors at the knee and hip joints and sensors to help it adjust with each footfall. While wearing the device and holding two forearm crutches, someone with complete lower-limb paralysis can walk.
Hope for All
As a component of the treatment, several walking aids were brought into the equation to bring the dream of walking to fruition. Some previous studies have reported paraplegics taking steps with the help of walking aids in conjunction with electrical stimulation. The startup GTX medical, co-founded by Bloch, plans to use these findings to develop neurotechnology that aims to turn this rehabilitation into a treatment available at hospitals and clinics everywhere; which is great news for those who do not have the insurance or out of pocket budget to receive this therapy they deserve.