life after a spinal cord injury Tag Archives

Published on: June 18, 2025

Brain Decoder Test Results Hold Promise for Spinal Injury Patients

Thousands of people suffer spinal cord injuries in car accidents every year. Technologies and therapies that make use of sensors and impulses in order to trigger movement point to the way forward in spinal cord injury treatment. A recent study also broke new ground in this field.

The experiment was conducted on 17 persons who had no spinal injury. These persons were made to wear special fitting headgear that measured their brain impulses. They were asked to extend their legs or think about extending them. The researchers then recorded brain waves to identify when a subject moved his leg and intended to move his leg.

The researchers found that the brain waves were very similar in both the actual movements as well as the imagined movements. Using these electrodes, the researchers were able to identify when people were thinking about moving their leg even when they were not actually doing so, based on the brain waves recorded. These people were able to move their legs just by thinking about moving it, helped by the triggering of electrical impulses in the spinal cord.

Published on: March 28, 2025

Robotics, Implant Combination Can Help Spinal Cord Injury Victims

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New research finds that a combination of implants that trigger movements and robotic exoskeleton devices that help the person coordinate those movements can help treat symptoms of paralysis in patients who have suffered a spinal cord injury. These personal injuries often occur as a result of car accidents, trucking accidents and motorcycle accidents.

Robotic exoskeletons have been one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of spinal cord injury. These personal injuries can leave persons with varying degrees of paralysis, and research over the past few years has found significant improvements in mobility and movement in persons using these innovations. However, a combination of a robotic exoskeleton with a muscle implant seems to have even more impressive effects.

A team of researchers has been working on the development of an implant that can trigger muscle impulses in patients who have been paralyzed because of a spinal cord injury. The sensory impulses triggered by these implants are like the nerve signals triggered naturally by the human body. The researchers recently published the findings of their study in the Science Robotics journal.

Published on: October 24, 2024

Infrared Therapy Promises Quicker Recovery for Spinal Cord Injury Victims

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New research focuses on the use of infrared light therapy to help reduce the impact of a spinal injury soon after it occurs.

Spinal cord personal injuries are some of the most devastating injuries, and often occur in auto accidents, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian and bicycle accidents. There is no complete cure for a spinal injury. However, millions of dollars are being invested in research into circumventing or limiting the impact of spinal cord personal injuries. Some of this research focuses on interventions that can limit damage during the early hours after the personal injury.

Recently, researchers using a grant by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health announced that they are in the process of testing an infrared tool that can help reduce the activity of mitochondria cells after an injury. According to the researchers, a lot of the long term impact of a spinal injury can be limited if interventions are made immediately or within a few hours after the injury. As soon as a spinal injury occurs, the mitochondria cells go into overdrive, creating large amounts of free radicals, and increasing cell damage in the area. According to the researchers, it is therefore important to limit the activity of the mitochondria soon after the spinal injury.

Published on: September 23, 2024

Lack of Insurance and Recovery after Spinal Cord Personal Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Uninsured or under-insured patients, who have suffered spinal cord injuries due to auto accident or other traumatic events, may be much more likely to be taken off life support.

A recent study measured the impact of insurance coverage on the survival and recovery of persons after a spinal cord injury. The study focused on more than 8,400 American adults who had suffered a spinal cord injury, and found that uninsured or under-insured patients were much more likely to be taken off life support much earlier than those with insurance.

Spinal cord injuries are often caused in auto accidents, trucking accidents and motorcycle accidents. These are not just devastating personal injuries with long-term consequences, but are also extremely expensive personal injuries to treat. The costs involved in treating spinal cord injuries can range between $95,000 to well above $1,000,000, depending on the complexity or level of the injury. Spinal cord injuries very often can result in paralysis, which in turn, can lead to a number of other effects on a person’s health.

Published on: August 29, 2024

MRI Scans can Predict Recovery in Spinal Cord Personal Injury Patients

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord personal injuries are some of the most devastating personal injuries that can occur in a car accident. New research finds that MRI scans which are typically used to guide surgeries in spinal cord injury patients, can also be used to make better assessments of a patient’s potential recovery.

A spinal cord injury occurs when there is a jolt or a blow to the spinal cord resulting in injury to the cord itself. The consequences are often catastrophic. Patients may be left with partial or complete paralysis, and may be unable to walk or use their limbs effectively. Rehabilitation may be a slow process. Often, MRI scans are used during treatment in order to guide surgical options as well as assess the amount of damage. However, researchers recently found that they could very accurately predict recovery for spinal cord injury patients using these same MRI scans. They found that information from MRI scans helped to predict the recovery potential for patients based on the tissue remaining around the affected area. The greater the amount of tissue left, the higher the chances of recovery.

According to the researchers, these are very important findings because they show that MRI scans can be used to guide and inform rehabilitation and therapy options after a spinal cord personal injury. They can help doctors provide better counseling to patients about their lives after spinal cord injury, and how they can expect their lives to change after the injury.

Published on: July 24, 2024

Research Shows Improvement in Autonomic Dysfunction After Spinal Injury

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Patients who have suffered a spinal injury may suffer from autonomic dysfunction or an extreme severity of autonomic reflexes that can trigger panic episodes and even heart attacks. In recent animal studies, researchers found ways that could circumvent such extreme reflexes.

A spinal injury after a car accident can lead to all kinds of life-altering consequences. The person may suffer from limited movement and mobility, loss of bowel and bladder control, restricted motor skills and a number of other consequences. One of those consequences is autonomic dysfunction which can be characterized by triggering of extreme autonomic reflexes when the person is faced with even mildly triggering situations. A person with a spinal injury may experience an extreme response to a harmless situation, like loss of bladder control, that triggers panic attacks, heart attacks and strokes. This lack of control over autonomic reflex responses could even have fatal consequences for the patient.

In a recent study, researchers found that the reason for such autonomic dysfunction could be traced to a particular type of nerve cell. According to the researchers, patients with a spinal cord injury may experience an abnormal rewiring of the nerve cells in the affected area. They found that specific nerve fibers called microglia cells were mainly responsible for this abnormal rewiring of the nerves which, in turn, causes loss of control over autonomic reflexes. Studies on animals found that depletion of these microglia cells helped to control the autonomic reflexes. The researchers found that when these cells were reduced in number, these extreme reflexes to mild situations were better controlled. The researchers say that these are significant findings because of the risk to patients with spinal injury who may suffer heart attacks or even strokes as a result of such panic reactions.

Published on: November 23, 2021

New Spinal Injury Treatment Promises Healing for Paralysis Patients

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord injuries can have a devastating impact on a person’s life and livelihood. These injuries can be permanent and may have no permanent cure.

Treatment for spinal cord injuries typically involves the management of decreased mobility and movement in patients. New studies recently, however, have shown a promising way forward in spinal injury treatment.

Scientists recently experimented on mice using an injectable therapy involving nanofibers to cover the damaged spinal tissue after the injury. The injections comprise of liquid nanogels that cover the damaged area, and create an environment that is very similar to the natural cellular environment. The nanofibers are able to mimic the natural movement of the cells, thereby promoting healing in these areas. The researchers found extraordinary results with the use of the therapy. After just about three to four weeks of the therapy, the mice were able to walk, and most of the damage was reversed.

Published on: October 8, 2019

Spinal injury treatment breakthrough offers hope to victims.

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord injuries can be caused by a variety of accidents, including auto or truck crashes, as well as motorcycle, pedestrian and bicycle accidents. A serious fall accident can also result in a spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injuries are a type of catastrophic injury and can be a life-altering injury. Broadly, any spinal injury may result in loss of sensation or movement in one or all limbs, loss of bladder and bowel control, loss of sexual function, pain, difficulty in breathing and other complications.

If you suffer a spinal cord injury, your ability to live your life as it was before the injury will be dramatically affected. Oftentimes, there needs to be modifications made to your home and car to make it possible for you to move about or be independently mobile. Most people who have suffered a spinal cord injury, however, require long term care or assistance with daily activities. This type of care can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars and can be sometimes into the millions.

Published on: May 31, 2011

Revolutionary New Treatment Helps Auto Accident Victims with Spinal Cord Injury Stand Again

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Atlanta car accident attorneys have been encouraged by a flurry of promising new aids to help spinal Injury victims walk again.However, this particular breakthrough is very different – a young man who had been left paralyzed after a serious car accident in 2006, and was confined to a wheelchair, has been able to stand up on his own andeventake a few steps.The researchers are hailing this as one of the biggest breakthroughs in spinal cord injury research.

Spinal injuries are frequently seen in devastating car and truck accidents.These are some of the most debilitating injuries, leaving an individual with markedly reduced movement, sensation and mobility.There is no complete cure for spinal cord injury, which is why it is so encouraging when we have little signs of progress like this.

The man, Rob Summers had been left with a serious spinal cord injury that left him incapable of moving his legs, and controlling his bladder and bowel movements.Summers was chosen to participate in research at a Kentucky spinal research center.He underwent the surgical procedure to implant a device containing 16 electrodes in his spine just below the damaged area.When the device is switched on, it excites the damaged nerves of the spine, delivering signals from the leg muscles, and helping a person move his toes, feet and legs.