Spinal cord stimulation could help treat paralysis. The new treatment made it possible for people with severe paralysis to voluntarily move their legs in a walking motion. The technique involves the use of electrical stimulation to the spinal cord, not surgery.

In a new study, five men who had been completely paralysed moved in a rhythmic motion after receiving an 18-week session. Published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, the study has showed that patients with severe spinal cord injuries could seek significant help from the new treatment to recover multiple body functions.

V. Reggie Edgerton, senior author of the research, and his team, used the technique which involved an electrode being placed against the lower back of the patient. The non-invasive alternative treatment required the researchers to send a pattern of electrical currents in the spinal cords through electrodes. The technique, called transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation, made wonders for the patients.

Each of them was paralyzed for more than a two years because of injuries from athletic activities or car accidents. During the study, they received 18 weeks of 45-minute stimulation sessions once a week. The electrical discharges did not cause any discomfort to patients. After 18 weeks, the men were able to move their legs without stimulation.

"It's as if we've reawakened some networks so that once the individuals learned how to use those networks, they become less dependent and even independent of the stimulation", said Edgerton. He added that the new approach has a huge potential to become a standard treatment as does not require surgery and produces promising results.