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Spinal Cord Therapy

Hi Nurse Linda -- I've been working hard for a year at recovery from my SCI. I've made pretty good progress with physical therapy, but I'm wondering if there's any kind of "spinal cord therapy" I could also be doing. My cord was very badly bruised, so I have a good chance to get most, if not all function back. Just wondering what I could be doing to help my spinal cord heal better, if anything. Let me know if you need more info. Thanks in advance.
Be Nicer. Be Smarter. And, Always Follow Your Bliss.
Best Answers
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BackBoneHead Member Posts: 4 ✭
Thanks Nurse Linda. Are there supplements, stimulation, or other treatments that can help the spinal cord heal?Be Nicer. Be Smarter. And, Always Follow Your Bliss. -
AskNurseLinda Moderator, Information Specialist Posts: 143 Information Specialist
Hello, BackBoneHead, there are some studies in rats with spinal cord injury that suggests creatine has some influence on rats. The big issue is that the effect is not known in humans not is the dosage. It may help but if the incorrect dosage is given, it could harm. These studies are few but they are out there. It is too early to tell. Here are a couple of references for your review.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander_Rabchevsky/publication/10621180_Creatine_Diet_Supplement_for_Spinal_Cord_Injury_Influences_on_Functional_Recovery_and_Tissue_Sparing_in_Rats/links/00b7d5260b72b56731000000.pdf
https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(02)92313-0/fulltext
Functional electrical stimulation has been demonstrated to help. It is costly and you have to really work with your payor to try for approval. If there is a location near where you live, you can use your two weeks per year of mobility training that is included in most policies, to learn how to use the equipment. After that, you might be able to use the facilities equipment for a small fee or try to get it in your own home. The therapy needs to be done long term. Two weeks will just be for education. There is evidence (research) that this is effective. This is what Christopher Reeve used in his recovery with striking results. Nurse LindaI'm online in this community every Wednesday from 8-9 PM ET to answer your SCI and paralysis related questions.
Leave a comment any time below. Let's get the discussion going!
Nurse Linda
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Answers
Another alternative is to provide movement through Functional Electrical Stimulation which is much more intense. Here, too, you need to be thinking about what is happening to your body at the same time.
The body is always working to heal itself. You need to harness this phenomena and push it along. Sometimes it works faster than other times. But some people do see recovery in various ways years after spinal cord injury. Nurse Linda
I'm online in this community every Wednesday from 8-9 PM ET to answer your SCI and paralysis related questions.
Leave a comment any time below. Let's get the discussion going!
Nurse Linda
Register for my next webchat! Sign up here!