Acupuncture and Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries are extremely serious. Acupuncture for a spinal cord injury can bring relief to chronic pain and improve your quality of life.

Among the most devastating types of traumatic injuries is injury to the spinal cord. The major problem with spinal cord injury is the inability of the nerve cells to regenerate. It is thought that the cells do not regenerate for a couple of reasons. The network of nerve connections between the brain and the body is a complex network. If new cells and branches began to grow after injuries, there would be no telling what would be connected to what anymore. The other reason is there is a limited amount of room in the spinal column and growth of cells would be impossible. Since the cells do not grow, once the spinal cord is damaged or severed, the condition is permanent. Continue Reading »

Centre aims to become stem cell research leader

Canadian businessman Rob McEwen believes that Canada can be at the forefront of medical research with an innovative approach to curing disease. By donating part of his fortune, he is helping to fund research in the new field of regenerative medicine.

The McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Toronto envisions a day when the standard treatment for disease is not based on invasive procedures or powerful medications, but on utilizing the body’s own stems cells to have patients literally heal themselves.

Following an original gift of $10 million in 2003, Rob and his wife Cheryl recently donated a second $10 million to support research at the Centre — the largest cumulative gift in stem cell research in Canada. The McEwen centre opened last fall, attracting worldwide attention on Canada’s initiatives in stem cell research. Continue Reading »

Stanford scientists make major breakthrough in regenerative medicine

Findings described in a new study by Stanford scientists may be the first step toward a major revolution in human regenerative medicine—a future where advanced organ damage can be repaired by the body itself. In the May 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal, researchers show that a human evolutionary ancestor, the sea squirt, can correct abnormalities over a series of generations, suggesting that a similar regenerative process might be possible in people.

“We hope the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon will ultimately lead to new insights regarding the potential of cells and tissues to be reprogrammed and regenerate compromised organs in humans,” said Ayelet Voskoboynik, Ph.D., of Stanford University and first author of the study. Continue Reading »

Nanotechnology offers hope for treating spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease

Science of tomorrow promises to alleviate suffering from intractable ailments of today

WASHINGTON, DC — Imagine a world where damaged organs in your body—kidneys, liver, heart—can be stimulated to heal themselves. Envision people tragically paralyzed whose injured spinal cords can be repaired. Think about individuals suffering from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s relieved of their symptoms – completely and permanently.

Dr. Samuel I. Stupp, director of the Institute of BioNanotechnology in Medicine at Northwestern University, is one of a new breed of scientists combining nanotechnology and biology to enable the body to heal itself — and who are achieving amazing early results. Continue Reading »

Illinois resident’s experience proves that paralyzed men can father children

In the weeks following the car accident that left him paralyzed below the waist, Geoff Luther was haunted by worries that he’d lost the chance to be a father.

“It was some of the stuff I was thinking about the most,” said Luther. “What about having children? What about getting married? Can you naturally conceive a family?”

His questions are shared by thousands of young men each year who suffer paralyzing spinal injuries. But many may give up hope — or undergo unnecessary, invasive procedures — because their doctors don’t know about simple ways to help them. Continue Reading »

You don’t need a cape to be a true superhero

Whom do you turn to if Superman dies?

Marc Buoniconti doesn’t have the comic-book feel of a superhero: He has been a quadriplegic since fall 1985, when his spinal cord snapped while he was making a tackle playing football at The Citadel. He needs 24-hour care from a private nurse. He moves with the aid of a breath-activated wheelchair.

But he is a fortunate son in more ways than one. He inherited the Buoniconti tenacity from a father who was an undersized dynamo middle linebacker with the Miami Dolphins dynasty in the 1970s. Continue Reading »

Hope for fatherhood

Paralyzed men have new range of options

Chicago – In the weeks following the car accident that left him paralyzed below the waist, Geoff Luther was haunted by worries that he’d lost the chance to be a father.

“It was some of the stuff I was thinking about the most,” said Luther. “What about having children? What about getting married? Can you naturally conceive a family?”

His questions are shared by thousands of young men each year who suffer paralyzing spinal injuries. But many may give up hope – or undergo unnecessary, invasive procedures – because their doctors don’t know about simple ways to help them. Continue Reading »

UF ‘think tank’ seeks the secrets of regeneration

Cut the limb off a starfish, and it will regrow a new one.

If a cat pulls the tail off a salamander, within a few weeks it will be skittering across the patio, having grown a replacement.

What’s their secret? And why isn’t it so easy for humans to regenerate parts of the body after an injury or illness?

The newly launched Regeneration Project at the McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida will seek to unlock the secrets of regeneration in species like starfish, newts, salamanders, even flatworms, and apply them to treat all-too-human problems ranging from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to spinal cord injury. Continue Reading »

Stem cell grants come with dash of criticism

Carl T. Hall, Chronicle Science Writer

One of the state’s most prominent stem cell researchers was judged to be a little “naive” on some technical areas. Another scientist was questioned as to whether he has the “expertise” to carry out his research. One other veteran investigator was said to be taking a potentially irrelevant approach “from a clinical perspective.”

Public criticisms of scientists by other scientists are rare. But that’s part of the price for anyone obtaining a grant from California’s new $3 billion stem cell research program. Continue Reading »

This Spring, Stop and Smell the Tax Deductions!

Let’s face it – tax time isn’t fun for ANYONE. If you live with a spinal cord injury or other Disability, it can be even more of a challenge to get those taxes done. Fortunately, help is available! Not to mention, you may be eligible for more deductions than you thought!

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers assistance for those with disabilities through a variety of options. The IRS website states if you are unable to complete your return because of a physical disability, you may obtain assistance from an IRS office, or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) sponsored by the IRS. Continue Reading »