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Spinal Cord Trauma News
Related terms: Spinal Cord Injury, Paraplegia, Quadriplegia, Tetraplegia, Paraplegic
Nerve Zap Might Ease Pain of Herniated Disk
Posted 18 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Nov. 27, 2018 --What if a simple zap to the spine could relieve the debilitating lower back and leg pain brought on by a herniated disk? Such is the promise of "pulse radiofrequency" therapy (pRF), which sends inflammation-reducing pulses of energy to nerve roots in the spine, a new study claims. The therapy is not new, having first received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in ...
Computer-Brain Link Helps 'Locked In' People Chat, Surf Web
Posted 22 Nov 2018 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21, 2018 – Writing an e-mail. Sending a text message. Surfing the internet. These are activities taken for granted by most, but denied to paralyzed people who've lost the use of their arms and hands. Now, thanks to a brain implant, a small group of paralyzed patients can directly operate an off-the-shelf tablet device just by thinking about it. The implant reads their brain ...
Three Paralyzed Patients Now Walk, Thanks to Breakthrough Technology
Posted 31 Oct 2018 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 – The science of spinal cord stimulation has been fine-tuned to the point that three previously paralyzed patients can now walk with minimal assistance, Swiss researchers report. They can do so with only the aid of crutches or a walker, thanks to incredibly precise electrical stimulation of their spinal cord combined with intensive rehabilitation, the scientists said. In ...
Spinal Implant Could Be Breakthrough for Paralyzed Patients
Posted 24 Sep 2018 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 – A paraplegic man has regained the ability to move his legs and walk with assistance, thanks to an implanted electrode stimulating his spinal cord, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Surgeons implanted the electrode below the level of 29-year-old Jered Chinnock's spinal cord injury. A 2013 snowmobile crash left Chinnock with complete loss of motor control and sensation below ...
Spine Stimulation May Help Paralyzed Patients Regain Bladder Control
Posted 22 Aug 2018 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22, 2018 – Many people with spinal cord injuries suffer the loss of bladder control, but a small new study shows that stimulation of the lower spine might help them regain some of that control. The study included five male patients. For four months, they received 15 minutes a week of noninvasive, painless lower spinal cord stimulation conducted through the skin using a magnetic ...
That Motorcycle Helmet Just May Save Your Spine
Posted 13 Mar 2018 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 13, 2018 – A good helmet not only protects your skull if you crash your motorcycle, it can also reduce the risk of cervical spine injuries, researchers found. The finding counters claims by some that helmets do not protect against such injuries and may even increase the risk of injury, according to a team from the department of neurological surgery at the University of Wisconsin ...
Nerve Stimulation Pulls Patient From 15-Year Vegetative State
Posted 26 Sep 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Sept. 25, 2017 – By stimulating a nerve that stretches from the abdomen to the brain, French researchers have restored a significant measure of consciousness to a brain-damaged 35-year-old car accident victim who had spent 15 years in a vegetative state. This case may change conventional thinking about vegetative states. Currently, it is generally believed that if someone is in a ...
JFK's Long, Silent Struggle With Back Pain
Posted 11 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 11, 2017 – Contrary to his youthful, vibrant public image, former President John F. Kennedy privately battled chronic, debilitating back pain much of his life. A new report chronicles JFK's pain issues and the many treatments he received throughout the years. The report includes private details – from multiple failed spinal surgeries and narcotic injections, to use of a back brace ...
Music May Soothe the 'Savage Beast' of Post-Op Pain
Posted 7 Apr 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 – Patients recovering from back surgery often struggle with pain and anxiety, but new research shows that music therapy may help ease their discomfort. Medication is commonly used to manage pain for people who've had surgery to treat a spinal problem. For the new study, researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City provided 30 patients who'd had spinal fusion ...
Brain-Computer Link Restores Some Movement to Quadraplegic Man
Posted 29 Mar 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 – Grabbing a mug of coffee, having a sip. It's something most people would do without thinking, every day. But for Bill Kochevar, it's a life-changing move. That's because Kochevar, 56, lost all movement below his shoulders eight years ago in a bicycling accident. But now he's the first quadriplegic in the world to successfully use a dual-implant technology to regain some ...
Brain Chip Helps Paralyzed 'Type' With Their Mind
Posted 21 Feb 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 – A microchip implanted in the brain helped paralyzed patients "type" on a computer via mind control, at the fastest speeds yet seen in such experiments. It's the latest step forward in research on "brain-computer interface" systems. Scientists have been studying the technology, with the aim of giving patients with paralysis or limb amputations more independence in their ...
Specially Designed Video Game Might Ease 'Phantom Limb' Pain
Posted 2 Dec 2016 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Dec. 1, 2016 – Amputees who experience what is known as phantom limb pain may benefit from playing a virtual reality game that simulates the movement of missing limbs, a small study suggests. "Phantom limb pain is a difficult condition to treat that can seriously hinder patients' quality of life," said study lead author Max Ortiz Catalan. He is an assistant professor at Sweden's ...
Scientists Restore Leg Movement in Paralyzed Monkeys
Posted 9 Nov 2016 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9, 2016 – Using a wireless brain-spinal connection, scientists report they restored leg movement in paralyzed monkeys. This is the first time this type of system – called a neural prosthetic – has restored walking movement directly to the legs of nonhuman primates (a pair of rhesus macaques), according to the researchers. "The system we have developed uses signals recorded from ...
Nerve Stimulation Restored Sense of Touch to Arm Amputees
Posted 26 Oct 2016 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 26, 2016 – Direct stimulation of the nervous system produced realistic sensations of touch in two arm amputees, researchers report. Both men lost their arms after traumatic injuries. They received implanted devices containing electrodes that were attached to the nerves of the arm. These nerves would normally carry signals to and from the hand. "If you want to create a dexterous ...
Long Spaceflight Seems to Weaken Spinal Muscles
Posted 25 Oct 2016 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Oct. 25, 2016 – After months in space, the muscles supporting an astronaut's spine shrink, a new study finds. And, the muscles don't return to normal even after the astronaut is back on Earth for several weeks, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, discovered. But there were no changes in astronauts' spinal disc height, according to the study. The researchers ...
