Spinal injury

  • Breakthrough stimulation therapy restores arm and hand function after 34 years

    Alan*, 52, has regained strength, mobility and function in his left shoulder, arm and hand 34 years after experiencing partial paralysis following a spinal cord injury as a teenager. He achieved these gains by completing a groundbreaking eight-week programme combining ONWARD Medical’s newly-approved ARCEX spinal stimulation system with the Neurokinex Activity Based Rehabilitation protocol. One [...]

  • Essential care plans: helping people with spinal cord injury stay safe and heard

    By Jin Garcha, registered nurse and complex care specialist I’m Jin Garcha, a registered nurse and complex care specialist. For more than three decades, I have worked alongside people with complex health needs, including people with spinal cord injury, their families and care teams. As the clinical director at Premium Care Solutions, I know how [...]

  • Active Care Group opens new private specialist rehab hospital in Stoke Mandeville

    Complex care provider Active Care Group  and charity partners WheelPower have announced an agreement that will enable the development of the new Active Neuro Stoke Mandeville Private Rehabilitation Hospital – a significant investment in the future of specialist spinal and neuro-rehab. Located next to Stoke Mandeville’s National Spinal Injuries Centre, the new 52-bed Active Neuro [...]

  • Paralysed man sent to dementia care home finally returns home after five years

    When Jonathan Hammocks (53) from Grantham sustained a spinal cord injury, he was left paralysed from below the neck and in need of 24-hour care. What followed was five years living in hospitals and care settings before he finally returned home this year. He is speaking out now to help stop others from living the [...]

  • Cycling club raises £20k for Spinal Research

    Islington Cycling Club has raised £20,000 for Spinal Research after one of its members was paralysed below the shoulders in a cycling accident. James “Gino” Murphy was riding with fellow club members in February 2024 when he came off his bike and hit a kerb headfirst, seriously damaging his spinal cord. He was airlifted to [...]

  • Disability podcast wins at the UK Content Awards

    Spinal Injuries Association ‘I Didn’t Plan on This’ podcast has won podcast/audio campaign of the year at the UK Content Awards. The awards shine a spotlight on the most innovative, impactful, and creative content campaigns across the country. The podcast series, released in February 2026 by Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), was created to give voice [...]

  • Injectable nanobots repair spinal cord, study finds

    Injectable nanorobots fused with stem cells have shown early promise in treating mice with spinal cord damage. The tiny devices respond to electromagnetic signals and were designed to help nerve cells reconnect after severe spinal injury. Researchers said the technology is still at an early stage and will need further testing before similar devices could [...]

  • Study sheds light on relationship between opioids and suicidal ideation in SCI survivors

    Opioid misuse, not prescribed opioid use alone, is linked to suicidal ideation in spinal cord injury survivors, a study has found. The research examined the complex relationship between opioids and suicidal ideation in people living with spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury, or SCI, can affect movement, sensation and bodily functions, and many survivors live [...]

  • Study aims to improve outcomes for athletes with spinal injuries

    A new spinal injury study has examined ways to improve emergency care for athletes with catastrophic cervical spine injuries. The work focused on injuries to the cervical spine, the neck section of the spine that supports the head and protects the spinal cord. These injuries can be life-changing and need careful emergency handling to reduce [...]

  • ‘Irreversible’ spinal cord damage may be reversed, research suggests

    Spinal cord damage once thought irreversible may be reversible, after researchers grew miniature brain and spinal circuits in the lab. The early-stage research suggests nerve fibres connecting the brain and spinal cord may be able to regrow after damage if key biological signals are targeted. The findings could help scientists understand why paralysis and other [...]