UCLA and Pavlov Institute‘s transcutaneous stimulation technique helped paralyzed patients regain voluntary movement without surgery.
In a recent study, 5 men, who had been paralyzed for 2-6 years, moved their own legs (with out stimulation) after several weeks of electrical stimulation, physical therapy, and an experimental drug.
Transcutaneous stimulation delivers electrical current to the spinal cord, via electrodes placed on the lower back. This is the first time the stimulation was delivered non-invasively. Previously, an electrical stimulation device had to be surgically implanted on the spinal cord.