A MIRACLE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY: “EPIDURAL STIMULATION”
Loss of mobility due to spinal cord injury or paralysis is extremely devastating, because nerve cells do not have the ability to regenerate themselves. This can mean that a person who used to run may never walk again and, after certain traumas (especially cervical/neck injuries), may not even be able to use their hands and must become dependent on people around them. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year between 250,000 and 500,000 people sustain a spinal cord injury, most often due to motor vehicle accidents, falls, or other trauma. Unfortunately, until recently, there was no treatment capable of reversing the mobility loss experienced by these patients.
For patients with partial or complete spinal cord injury, the combination of Epidural Stimulation implantation with “Modern Regenerative Therapy” represents an undeniably powerful and highly advanced treatment approach. One of the greatest sources of hope was a video showing a rugby league star—who became paraplegic 25 years ago after a tragic training accident—running again. Helping our patients gradually regain their independence in daily life is one of our main goals. The procedure has been approved by the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration office responsible for such studies). It is currently being performed in several countries, including the USA and Switzerland. However, in these markets the cost of surgery can exceed 200,000 dollars, so some patients prefer to undergo the procedure in countries such as Thailand where the costs are much lower. In our country, we provide this treatment with an experienced team, in fully equipped hospitals, and by supporting the patient throughout the entire process.
Epidural stimulation is suitable for patients with spinal cord injury between the C4 and T10 levels. It can be performed in two ways: under local anesthesia with a percutaneous needle technique, or under general anesthesia with an open incision technique. It involves placing a small device on top of the protective covering of the spinal cord. This device generates electrical currents to the lower part of the spinal cord, which can no longer communicate with the upper spinal cord. These electrical currents are adjusted via a remote control that can change the stimulation parameters.
When combined with physiotherapy, patients can be trained to regain movement in their legs. This treatment is currently the best available technology for spinal cord injuries. In addition to restoring movement, it has the potential to help patients regain other functions such as standing, stepping with minimal assistance, bladder control, body temperature regulation, sexual function, and muscle strength control.
So far, the results of surgery and device implantation have been positive. Patients who have undergone this experimental procedure have regained movement in their legs and experienced other improvements. In our own examples, some patients were able to bend their knees just two days after implantation of the epidural stimulator, while another patient was able to take steps on a treadmill.