The Promising Future of Microcurrent
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Electrotherapy devices use low-level current to treat injuries. As the pharmaceutical industry grew, funding diminished greatly for microcurrent therapy research. But now, electrotherapy research is once again gaining momentum. This is bringing hope for treating spinal cord injuries. Results are most notable when combining electrotherapy treatment with physical therapy.
In 2017, researchers at the esteemed Mayo Clinic inserted a tiny electrode into the spinal cord of a paralyzed patient. The electrode was connected to a "computer-controlled device" located underneath the skin of the patient's abdomen. This device sent electrical impulses to the spinal cord. Along with physical therapy, the patient was able to stand and take a few steps with assistance. According to Kendall Lee, Neurosurgeon and Director of the Mayo Clinic's Neural Engineering Laboratory, "What this is teaching us is that those networks of neurons below a spinal cord injury still can function after paralysis,"
In one study at the Mayo Clinic, researchers used electrical stimulation and physical therapy to treat a 26-year-old patient who had an injury located at the sixth thoracic vertebrae. This allowed the patient to move his legs for the first time in three years. According to researchers, these results demonstrate that the combination of electrical stimulation and rehabilitation may help paralyzed patients regain the ability to stand and retain balance.
Forthcoming research appears to be promising. Alphabet, the parent company of Google is working with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) investing in electrotherapy research. GSK is "a focused biopharma company with strong momentum and big ambitions, to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together."This means that electrotherapy may play an important role in the future treatment of spinal cord injuries as well as treatment for chronic conditions such as diabetes and arthritis.
References:
Angeli CA, Edgerton VR, et al. Altering spinal cord excitability enables voluntary movements after chronic complete paralysis in humans. Brain, 2014 May;137(Pt 5):1394-409.
Jeanmaire C. Progress and Prospects of Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Research in 2015 and 2016. Paralysis Foundation and for the ESCIF (European Spinal Cord Federation) Research Group, March 2016.