The Spinal Cord Injury Zone » Spinal Cord

Paralysed patients could benefit from robotic aids

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:56:28 +0000

Patients with spinal cord injuries could one day move paralysed parts of their bodies with a wearable robotic device controlled by a wireless chip implanted in the brain. The technology is being developed through a £1m government-sponsored research programme involving academics from Leicester University, Newcastle University and Imperial College London. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, the principal [...]

Curing spinal-cord injury life’s goal for Ottawa surgeon

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:53:43 +0000

OTTAWA-Dr. Eve Tsai has made a real name for herself with her work in the operating room and in the research lab, Matthew Pearson reports. The tragedy of young lives altered forever by freak accidents or foolish mistakes drives Dr. Eve Tsai to find a cure for spinal-cord injuries. The causes may vary from car [...]

Hope for spinal injuries

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:06:35 +0000

University of Alberta researchers have discovered spontaneously active receptors in the spinal cord Bucking conventional knowledge, University of Alberta researchers have identified spontaneously active receptors in the spine that could be used to help treat victims of spinal cord injury. David Bennett and Karim Fouad from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine have discovered that the [...]

Discovery could help treat spinal injuries

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:58:39 +0000

U of A researchers uncover trigger that causes muscles to move without signal from brain EDMONTON – Research led by a pair of University of Alberta scientists has uncovered a surprising phenomenon that offers hope of new treatments for people with spinal-cord injuries. The team has pinpointed a unique ability of neurochemical receptors in the [...]

Answers to the 6 most frequently asked spinal cord questions

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:38:57 +0000

The art of spinal manipulation has been around for thousands of years, dating back to medicine men called “bone setters” at the time Socrates lived. Spinal manipulation, also known as spinal adjusting, is one of the most popular forms of treatment for many forms of back and neck pain. Many clinicians such as physical therapists, [...]

Paraplegia: Paralysis of the Lower Part of the Body

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:28:11 +0000

Paraplegia is paralysis (loss of movement or sensation, or both) brought on by a severe trauma to the central nervous system. It is the result of damage occurring at the level of the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae of the spinal cord, or lower. The location of the spinal cord injury (SCI) is very important as [...]

University of Louisville, Kentucky centers develop treatments, create hope for spinal cord injuries

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Sun, 02 May 2010 12:09:50 +0000

A bullet remains lodged in Michelle Alexander’s spinal cord nearly six years after her husband shot her four times — instantly paralyzing her — before killing himself in July 2004. Doctors told her she’d probably never walk again. But a rehabilitation strategy being pioneered at the University of Louisville is changing her fate. Today Alexander [...]

Animal Study Suggests New Target To Aid Recovery For Patients With Traumatic Injuries

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:38:25 +0000

A protein called fibrinogen that is known to help form blood clots also triggers scar formation in the brain and spinal cord, according to new research in the April 28 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers found that fibrinogen carries a dormant factor that activates when it enters the brain after an injury, prompting [...]

HealthWatch: Paralysis

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:34:01 +0000

People who suffer a spinal cord injury often end up at least partially paralyzed. It used to be that they had little hope of walking again, but there have been huge strides made in getting paraplegics moving again. Getting paralyzed patients truly up and walking on their own is still a ways off, but getting [...]

Chitosan Offers Hope For Spinal Injury Patients

The Spinal cord Injury Zone — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:41:03 +0000

Richard Borgens and his colleagues from the Center for Paralysis Research at the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine have a strong record of inventing therapies for treating nerve damage. From Ampyra, which improves walking in multiple sclerosis patients to a spinal cord simulator for spinal injury victims, Borgens has had a hand in developing therapies [...]