Eleven-thousand people in the United States suffer from spinal cord injuries each year.
Men
are more at risk than women for this type of injury, accounting for 80
percent of them. Those between the ages of 16 and 30 are most likely to
suffer such an injury. Most of the time, a spinal cord injury will
result in permanent paralysis and loss of sensation below the area of
the spine where the injury took place.
A quadriplegic or
tetraplegic is paralyzed throughout most of their body, including their
arms and legs while only the lower body of a
Paraplegic is paralyzed.
Imagine
a fun, harmless sports game turning into your worst nightmare. That
happened to Duane Morrow, an avid rugby player, who suffered a
paralyzing neck injury during a game -- except he didn't know it until
the following day.
After the game, Morrow's neck and shoulders
felt sore, but the injury didn't present itself until the next day
while he was sitting in a business meeting. Morrow's right leg started
falling asleep.
"Within 15 minutes I was laying on the floor gasping for breath, paralyzed from the chest down," he said.
Morrow
was rushed to the hospital where an
MRI revealed a disc slip at the
C6-C7
Vertebrae. Doctors told him there was a 99 percent chance he
would never walk again, but thanks to new technology, Morrow's fate
changed.
Functional electronic stimulation (
FES) technology
involves a wireless electronic stimulator worn just below the knee. It
provides electrical stimulation to the front of the shin bone, or the
tibialis
Anterior muscle. The device helps pull the ankle and toes
upwards, allowing the toes to lift off the ground instead of dragging,
which is typical in a paralyzed patient who cannot move their toes.
This motion of the ankle is called dorsiflexion.
The idea of
using electrical stimulation to assist with lifting toes off the ground
is not a new idea, but it being wireless is. With a wireless device,
patients do not have worry about carrying around a large box full of
wires.
The electrical stimulation device has three components: a
cup that sits below the knee, a heel switch that goes inside the shoe
and a hand held remote. The hand held remote is not noticeable, as it
can be worn in the form of a necklace, bracelet or belt latch.
The
device relieves pressure as the heels come up and signals electrical
stimulation to assist with picking up the foot and toes. The technology
can restore function to patients with strokes, head injuries and spinal
cord injuries. Being able to function and complete day-to-day routines
makes a world of difference for patients.
The machine costs
around $6,000, but for many, granting movement back into the legs is
worth every penny. When a person buys the technology, experts say it is
best to go to a clinic where a
Physical Therapist can set it up. The
placement of the electrodes is individual and so are changes in
frequency. Parameters can also be set up to the person's liking.
For
those who cannot afford to have electrical stimulators, they can rely
on modern wheelchairs and computer devices. Modern wheelchairs are new
and improved, and made of light-weight materials. Some are even capable
of climbing stairs and traveling through rough terrain.
New
computer devices can also help make life easier for those with spinal
cord injuries. Voice activated computer tools can answer and dial
phones as well as help with cleaning, reading, paying bills and
dressing. It's hard for doctors to make an adequate prognosis
immediately after an injury, as recovery usually occurs between a week
and six months. Injury is likely to be permanent if it persists for 12
to 24 months; however, Morrow is evidence that there is hope for
recovery.
Additional Information: 
Device Helps Paralyzed Pull Ankle, Toe Upwards