The Ultimate Guide to Full Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

The spinal cord acts as an information conduit from the brain to the rest of the body. The sensation is transmitted from the body to the brain via the spinal cord. The brain then sends signals back down the spinal cord to the body based on its interpretation of the stimuli. When your spinal cord is injured, the signals that typically travel between your brain and body are blocked or disrupted, leaving you with impaired motor function or paralysis below the point of injury and possibly impaired sensation.

Exoskeletons

Right now, exoskeletons can be worn by people who have suffered spinal cord injuries to help them walk again. Wearable robotic exoskeletons use sensors and momentum to enhance human movement. Those with partial or total paralysis of the spinal cord would benefit significantly from this. As a result, they can stand and move around more, which is good for their circulation, muscle mass, bone density, and protection against pressure ulcers.

For people with paraplegia, exoskeletons represent a promising new technology. An injury to the spinal cord can cause paralysis or weakness below the site of the damage because of a breakdown in the standard transmission of nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body. Many people with spinal cord injuries may not be able to walk again because of this. Individuals with severe paraplegia may regain mobility and independence with the help of an exoskeleton.

Movement Therapy

Physical therapy aims to help you strengthen the connections between your brain’s neurons by practicing specific exercises. A chiropractor will help you learn how to improve your weak muscles and get around more efficiently and safely after you’ve experienced an injury or disability. Occupational therapy assists people in regaining their independence following an illness or accident by emphasizing the repetition of essential skills. Everyday tasks provide a convenient opportunity to build muscle and strength because they are performed repeatedly throughout the day.

Stem Cell Treatment

Both characteristics make stem cells a promising therapy for restoring function after spinal cord injury. Based on their surroundings, they can differentiate into a wide range of cell types. As a result, they are capable of infinite division. The plan is to inject them into the spinal cord to repair broken neural circuits and replace damaged neurons. While promising, spinal cord injury stem cell therapy is still in its early stages. Scientists are currently trying to determine the most effective stem cell therapy, a safe dosage, the optimal timing, and the therapy’s long term consequences.

Injections With Botox

Spasticity, or involuntary muscle contractions, severely limits the mobility of many people with SCIs. Botox injections provide short term relief from these contractions, allowing patients to concentrate on rehabilitation programs. Botox is a “nerve block” that prevents the transmission of signals that generally cause muscles to contract. When the brain and areas below the injury level cannot communicate with one another, this therapy can be highly beneficial.

Botox usually has a temporary effect that lasts a few months, but tolerance can be built over time, so spacing out injections is preferable. Injections should be repeated every few weeks at the earliest. Even though Botox’s effects can be seen after just a few days, the full impact will be seen until about two weeks after the injection.

Stimulating With Electricity

Electrical stimulation is another promising treatment. You need to know how a spinal cord injury can limit your mobility to grasp how electrical stimulation helps restore mobility by stimulating areas below the injury site with electric currents that mimic brain signals. Individuals with complete motor injuries may benefit from intensive physical training combined with epidural electrical stimulation.

There is a possibility that signals cannot propagate past injured regions of the spinal cord after a spinal cord injury. It could lead to a loss of sensation or motor function below the injury site. However, the nerves below the injury site become inactive because they cannot send or receive signals to or from the brain, the nerves below the injury site become inactive.

Usually, if you give your body enough time after an injury, it will heal itself. It is because most body cells are in a constant state of regeneration. However, damaged neurons in the brain cannot repair themselves. Spinal cord injuries are irreversible. Unlike other parts of the body, the central nervous system has its unique healing mechanism called neuroplasticity.