Health

See a Paralyzed Man Stand Up on His Own After Experimental Surgery

LONDON (AP) — After Rob Summers was paralyzed below the chest in a car accident in 2006, his doctors told him he would never stand again. They were wrong.

Despite intensive physical therapy for three years, Summers‘ condition hadn’t improved. So in 2009, doctors implanted an electrical stimulator onto the lining of his spinal cord to try waking up his damaged nervous system. Within days, Summers, 25, stood without help. Months later, he wiggled his toes, moved his knees, ankles and hips, and was able to take a few steps on a treadmill.

“It was the most incredible feeling,” said Summers, of Portland, Oregon. “After not being able to move for four years, I thought things could finally change.”

Still, despite his renewed optimism, Summers can‘t stand when he’s not in a therapy session with the stimulator turned on, and he normally gets around in a wheelchair. Doctors are currently limiting his use of the device, made by Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc., to several hours at a time.

His case is described in a paper published Friday in the journal, Lancet. The research was paid for by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

See a Paralyzed Man Stand Up on His Own After Experimental Surgery

For years, certain people with incomplete spinal cord injuries, who have some control of their limbs, have experienced some improvement after experiments to electrically stimulate their muscles. But such progress had not been seen before in someone with a complete spinal cord injury.

“This is not a cure, but it could lead to improved functionality in some patients,” said Gregoire Courtine, head of experimental neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich. He was not connected to Summers’ case. Courtine cautioned Summers‘ recovery didn’t make any difference to the patient’s daily life and that more research was needed to help paralyzed people regain enough mobility to make a difference in their normal routines.

The electrical stimulator surgeons implanted onto Summers’ spinal cord is usually used to relieve pain and can cost up to $20,000. Summers’ doctors implanted it lower than normal, onto the very bottom of his vertebrae.

“The stimulator sends a general signal to the spinal cord to walk or stand,” said Dr. Susan Harkema, rehabilitation research director at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center in Louisville and the Lancet study’s lead author.

Harkema and her colleagues were surprised Summers was able to voluntarily move his legs. “That tells us we can access the circuitry of the nervous system, which opens up a whole new avenue for us to address paralysis,” Harkema said. She said prescribing drugs might also speed recovery.

Dr. John McDonald, director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, said the strategy could be rapidly adopted for the 10 to 15 percent of paralyzed patients who might benefit. He was not connected to the Summers case.

“There is no question we will do this for our patients,” he said. McDonald added that since the electrical stimulators are already approved for pain relief, it shouldn’t be difficult to also study them to help some patients regain movement.

For now, Summers does about two hours a day of physical therapy.

“My ultimate goal is to walk and run again,” he said. “I believe anything is possible and that I will get out of my wheelchair one day.”

—

Online:

http://www.lancet.com

Comments (37)

  • mikeakasleeper
    Posted on May 23, 2011 at 12:53pm

    Awesome what science and technology can do.
    http://www.avrsupplements.net/

    Report Post »  
  • B4B
    Posted on May 22, 2011 at 6:01pm

    EYEQ,
    The “topical” electrodes you speak of for pain control: TENS, trans-cutaneous electrical neuro-muscular stimulation.
    This works on the same principle of electricity causing muscle activity, but on a lower scale than what would cause enough muscle contraction to move a joint.
    The theory behind it is that signals for mechanical vibration travel faster than those for pain. Basically, you put the electrode/s where it hurts, and turn up the juice until you feel a tingling sensation . The more “tingling” you can tolerate, generally the more effective it will be for pain control. The idea is to overwhelm the neuro-pathway with these vibration signals so that fewer of the pain signals can reach the brain to be interpreted as pain – just as rubbing your shin vigorously after banging into that coffee table seems to make it ‘feel better’.
    I’ve used it myself for my back pain with varying results.

    Sorry for the long posts.

    Report Post »  
  • B4B
    Posted on May 22, 2011 at 5:49pm

    This isn’t all that “amazing”.
    Neuro-Muscular Electrical Stimulation ( NMES, or simply E-Stim) has been used for many years. I have personally been using it on patients for several years while providing Physical Therapy treatments during stoke rehab.
    It’s basics are simple – apply electricity to a muscle to elicit a contraction. To contract several muscles, add more electrodes. In order to do what you saw in the video, a computer is used to precisely control the timing and force of those contractions for a more controlled movement. Even simple movements like going from sitting to standing involve complex timing/ force control. Theoretically, with enough electrodes and computer control, one could walk without any self-activated motor initiation.
    I hope folks seeing this story aren’t filled with false hope that this is some sort of “cure” for the paralyzed. It simply isn’t. This can’t even be called a “procedure”. It doesn’t fix spinal cord damage.
    EYEQ,
    It seems your alluding to a “bone stimulator”. In short, it uses electricity to stimulate bone growth. Weight bearing causes compressive forces within bone, that stimulates bone growth (Wolf’s Law). Bone stimulators mimic that, used frequently after spinal surgeries, but it’s for promoting bone growth/healing, not repairing a spinal cord damage.

    Report Post »  
  • Meyvn
    Posted on May 21, 2011 at 8:20am

    Kudos! Keep on with the research.

    Report Post » Meyvn  
  • justice
    Posted on May 21, 2011 at 5:34am

    Keep the faith young man. I hope you are the Medical break through for others in the future. Your story gives hope to others.

    Report Post »  
  • Anne G
    Posted on May 21, 2011 at 4:52am

    Well, if they can keep hearts beating with pacemakers, they should be able to IMPLANT this stimulator thing a majig that can go for more than a few hours. What’s the hold up?

    Report Post » Anne G  
  • EyeQ
    Posted on May 21, 2011 at 1:16am

    I was subjected to testing at a Mayo Clinic for elec-stimulators to be placed in my spine, but osteoporosis has destroyed so much vertabra-disc structure, that the nerves contained in my spine are floating. The disease has eroded 7 of my dics and portions of several vertabrae, leaving me with a diet of daily pain pills. I did experience some relief from pain with a topical application of electrodes. With daily excersize and prayers, I am enjoying a slower, but productive, life at the age of 70. I have had 6 balloon kyphoplasty procedures implanted in my spinal structure to stabilize what is there and it works to relieve pain. Anyone with spine damage would do well to check out this procedure. Therapy is a must, and have faith.

    Report Post »  
  • BufordTJustice
    Posted on May 21, 2011 at 12:04am

    We waste money on many things that are worthless. If we want to cut waste that is where we should focus. This on the other hand is not what I call a waste of money. It is humane to spend a fraction of what other things cost on improving someone’s quality of life. I hope this can make a difference in many lives.

    Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 6:59pm

    Good for him. A friend of mine has a son that is in a wheelchair from an accident. I hope he too can be helped and walks again one day.

    Report Post »  
  • Billsocal
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 5:18pm

    In Europe they are using adult stem cells to repar spine damage and it is working. Just as they are using a person’s adult stem cells to repair people hearts. Of course the MSM kept it all under that Radar.

    Report Post »  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 3:36pm

    This is amazing! Perhaps the technology will help some of our soldiers someday. Somethings are worth paying for.

    Report Post »  
  • republic2011
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 3:00pm

    Well kiss this good-bye. After Obamacare takes effect, breakthrough’s like this will be a thing of the past. You noticed that this wasn’t discovered in Canada or Great Britain or Cuba or…. It was nice, America, while it lasted.

    Report Post »  
  • tdtresrch
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 2:02pm

    he said. “I believe anything is possible and that I will get out of my wheelchair one day.”

    If the above is remotely true, then why not flap one’s arms and fly?

    Too much Disney Land morality and not enough placing one’s faith in the Living God.
    This man may walk someday, but not because he believes “anything is possible.”
    Remember, Christopher Reeves never walked and he believed the same.

    All that can be said for sure is that one will, while spending all they have, suffer when going to the doctor.

    She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. (Mark 5:26)

    Best to believe on something else,
    A.T. Cross

    Report Post » tdtresrch  
  • islandlady
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 1:16pm

    Wow!!! Forgive them for they know not what they say. This could be an answer to my prayers.

    Report Post » islandlady  
  • nelan72
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 1:14pm

    All it needs is a gyroscope for stability.

    Report Post »  
  • rightwingheroes
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 11:57am

    Miracles happen every day.

    Report Post »  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 11:13am

    Not news. This technique has been around for years if not decades. It’s not a cure for spinal cord injuries. If anything, it’s a mere stop gap measure and totally impractical outside of the clinical setting.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • workinghard
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 11:06am

    Really? Are you sure they didn’t steal this technology from Cuba or Canada?

    Report Post »  
  • The Gooch
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 10:48am

    All well and good… quality of life is important. However, note the price tag. Great example of what the medical field and research can accomplish along with the ugly truth that it’s never free. It’s mind boggling that many Americans believe this boon should be given away, but reality dictates there is no free lunch.
    Great to see hope for folks.

    Report Post »  
  • Aaron in Polk County
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 10:04am

    If a man paralyzed below the chest walks… Is he really paralyzed? I ask you.

    Report Post » Aaron in Polk County  
  • Teapartywoman
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:57am

    America at it’s best, this is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

    Report Post » Teapartywoman  
  • jeff.cooper
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:44am

    U.S. National Institutes of Health is a part of the USDHHS, and “yes” we helped pay for it. That does not diminish the fact that our science does amazing things.

    Report Post » jeff.cooper  
    • joshbpool
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 10:01am

      well said coop! some science and research are areas where i wouldn’t mind sending some of my tax dollars for sure. That is as long as somebody is accountable. This is an amazing story! My best wishes to his speedy recovery, so that he is able to run as Obama ruins this country.

      Report Post » joshbpool  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 10:35am

      If I see results, I don’t mind paying. It’s the ones that have been around for YEARS with litlle or nothing to show (diabetes) that bother me.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • quicker
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:29am

    Awsome.This country has the best medical minds in the world.To bad Obamacare is going to shut it down.

    Report Post » quicker  
  • NewAmericanist
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:27am

    Good news. My brother broke his neck snow boarding. The Quad community is amazingly tight knit & unfortunately growing.

    http://Www.triumph-foundation.org

    Report Post » NewAmericanist  
  • disenchanted
    Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:25am

    portland oregon?? probably paid for by ******** for ******** with our tax dollars. ridiculous.

    Report Post »  
    • disenchanted
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:26am

      that’s libs in the stars…

      Report Post »  
    • disenchanted
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:28am

      can.not. believe libslurs are banned here… where can i exercise my rights??

      Report Post »  
    • jeff.cooper
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:40am

      There is often a delay when posting on new or popular stories.

      Report Post » jeff.cooper  
    • joseph Fawcett
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 9:50am

      All I could think about is it has taken the medical community 2000 years to come close to what Jesus did with just a word or a touch. Good stuff!

      http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist

      Report Post » joseph Fawcett  
    • Susan Harkins
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 10:06am

      Wait until Obamacare is in full swing…

      ..they would just throw this patient in the back of the woodpile and charge him for the lime.

      Report Post » Susan Harkins  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 11:43am

      DISENCHANTED
      ______________Read the terms and conditions. This website IS NOT a Democracy, you want that you will have to start your own site; and bear the responsibility of running said site. We can express our opinions in fashions that are acceptable to ‘the Blaze’, we just have to be creative.

      Report Post » Stoic one  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on May 20, 2011 at 11:53am

      DISENCHANTED
      …………………………Furthermore, the use of tax dollars for Research and Development is one of a few non-constitutional uses that has produced benefits for the country at large. Research like this, shows no promise of results until it is tried; forget the prospect of turning a profit or even breaking even on the investment. I urge you to look at the percentage of the fed budget before questioning.

      Entitlements suck up more than fifty percent of the fed budget. THIS IS THE PROBLEM.

      Report Post » Stoic one  

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