New stimulation therapy could help spinal cord patients walk again

A new stimulation therapy is being trialled on people with spinal cord injuries in the hope it will help them walk again.

The eWALK international trial is being led by researchers at Neuroscience Research Australia.

It involves the use of two electrodes, one of which is placed below the injury site on the surface of the skin.

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It sends electrical impulses to activate remaining functional nerves in the spinal cord and amplify communication between the brain, the spinal cord, and legs.

All 50 trial participants with chronic paraplegia will receive intense walk and step training.

Those who also receive stimulation therapy will be compared to a control group.

READ MORE: New stimulation therapy could help spinal cord patients walk again

"We will look at the size of the improvement in walking ability in those who've had the real stimulation therapy compared to those who've only had the placebo stimulation," Professor Simon Gandevia said.

"If it's positive, we then have a potential therapy which is cheap, which can be rolled out easily in Australia and easily internationally," the deputy director of NeuRA and principal trial investigator added.

SpinalCure Australia helped fund the trial after promising studies overseas.

"Neurostimulation is the one research therapy that is actually showing significant benefit," said executive director Duncan Wallace.

"It's the one that's restoring movement and function to people in clinical experiments.

"It's not going to be a cure in itself, but as far as really changing people's lives, it's the one thing out there that has been shown to do that," he said.

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SpinalCure said another $20 million is needed to expand the eWALK trial to focus on a wider range of spinal injuries and address issues such as ongoing pain, digestive health problems, and the loss of bladder and bowel control.

"We need to fund research like this because science is showing that huge improvements in function are possible and can increase people's independence and well-being," said Kathryn Borkovic, CEO of SpinalCure.

To find out more about the eWALK trial visit neura.edu.au.