Summary
A cure for SCI is clearly needed, and for those who have an injury or know someone with SCI, the amount of time it is taking to develop a cure seems unacceptable. It is easy to see why we want to accept claims of "breakthroughs," and why we are willing to believe promises by scientists or others that a "cure" will be found in five years, or ten years, or some other specified time period. With the amount of knowledge currently available about spinal cord function and dysfunction, however, it is impossible to predict when or even if a cure will be found.

As much as we would like to see an immediate cure for SCI, "shortcut solutions" are unlikely to produce one. The key to finding an eventual cure is in supporting basic research efforts slowly developing the answers to the most fundamental questions in biology. Only when those questions are answered will it be possible to develop approaches toward curing SCI and other unacceptable medical conditions.

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association would like to thank Lynn Phillips-Bryant for contributing her time and expertise in the preparation of this Factsheet. This Factsheet is offered as an information service and is not intended be a comprehensive overview of work in the field. Any information you may have to offer to further update this Factsheet would be greatly appreciated. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association Resource Center (NSCIRC) provides information and referral on any subject related to spinal cord injury. Contact the resource center at 1-800-962-9629.