Personalized Treatment Available for Those Living With Spinal Cord Injuries

More than 15 million people around the world live with spinal cord injuries, and while electrical stimulation therapy is showing potential to help restore movement, researchers say there’s still much to uncover — especially when it comes to tailoring treatment to each patient.

One of the biggest challenges is finding the right “recipe” for each individual, which includes figuring out the strength, type, and timing of the electrical signals. A study is aiming to figure out those recipes to help personalize spinal cord stimulation.

The study highlights the importance of customizing spinal cord stimulation, known as transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), where an external device delivers electrical currents through the skin to stimulate the spinal cord. By measuring electrical responses in affected muscles, researchers can assess how well the treatment is working. The goal is to help reactivate, or “wake up” the spinal cord so the brain and body can start reconnecting.

Traditionally, tSCS therapy has used standardized settings for all patients, but this study, which involves five participants, found that individualizing the stimulation produced stronger muscle responses. This personalization involves changing the electrode placement, intensity, and waveform of the stimulation.  In some cases, personalized configurations also helped regulate blood pressure and ease pain.

Researchers are learning that personalization really matters. Every spinal cord injury is different, and treatment should be as well.

Experimental and Emerging Therapies for Spinal Cord Injuries

Some up-and-coming therapies for spinal cord injuries include:

• Electrical stimulation. Devices deliver targeted electrical pulses to nerves or spinal cord segments below the injury. There are two main types: epidural stimulation, in which electrodes are implanted near the spinal cord, and transcutaneous stimulation, in which non-invasive stimulation through the skin.
• Stem cell therapy. The goal is to regenerate or replace damaged nerve cells. The types of stem cells being studied are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
• Brain-computer interfaces. They work by translating brain signals into movement commands. They are often paired with robotic limbs or muscle stimulators. They allow paralyzed individuals to move prosthetic limbs or their own limbs with brain signals.
• Gene therapy. This works by altering gene expression to promote nerve survival, growth, or plasticity. Examples include delivering genes that produce growth-promoting proteins and silencing genes that inhibit nerve regeneration.
• Wearable robotics and exoskeletons. The purpose is to assist walking and posture in people with partial or complete paralysis. These feature battery-powered devices that sense movement and provide motorized support. They are often used alongside rehab to strengthen muscles and reduce complications.

Contact Us Today

Spinal cord injuries can be life-altering. Regaining movement is always a goal, but it’s not always achievable. However, medical breakthroughs are also possible and new, personalized therapies can be helpful.

A Mt. Juliet spinal cord injury lawyer from The Law Offices of Christopher Eads, PLLC can assist you if you have suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else’s negligence. We can help you gather evidence and proof of negligence. To schedule a consultation with our office, call (615) 622-6060 or fill out the online form.

Source:

medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-personalized-electrical-therapies-spinal-cord.html