A recent clinical trial in the United Kingdom found that ONWARD Medical’s ARC-EX Therapy—a non-invasive external spinal stimulation device—combined with rehabilitation, could significantly improve function in people with chronic paralysis.
In a year-long trial, ten participants with chronic paralysis completed 120 ARC-EX sessions combining electrical stimulation with guided physical exercises to boost motor function. By the end, all had gained upper body strength, balance, and trunk control. Some also regained hand grip, dexterity, lower body movement, and experienced improved bowel and bladder function. Notably, improvements did not plateau—even after a full year—suggesting the therapy may offer sustained, long-term benefits.
This isn’t a silver bullet,” said Spinal Research Chair Tara Stewart, “but it’s time to stop telling people nothing can be done.” She added that combining this technology with personalized, activity-based rehabilitation represents a hopeful step forward in treating spinal cord injury (SCI): “This technology proves that a spinal cord injury is improvable—not incurable.”
The ARC-EX system received FDA approval in late 2024 and is expected to be available for home use soon.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply