Spinal injury
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
VR could help brain and spinal patients practise rehabilitation earlier and more often after serious injury or surgery, research suggests. An early-stage study looked at whether virtual reality technology could support patients recovering on busy hospital wards, where therapy time is often limited. Researchers wanted to see whether the approach could give patients [...]
A new spinal treatment may improve recovery after injury by targeting a chemical reaction that can worsen nerve damage in the first hours. Spinal cord injuries can worsen after the initial trauma, as chemical damage spreads through the nervous system. The experimental approach aims to interrupt that process early by removing excess glutamate [...]
By Ruth Hunt It is estimated that each year there are 4,400 new cases of someone sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI). For these people it is crucial they receive specialist treatment not only when they are first injured but as they embark on their journey living with such complex disabilities. Why SCI are such complex injuries is they involve damage to the spinal cord [...]
By Robert Dransfield, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper The National Suspected Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) Pathway published by Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) in 2023 was intended to address long-standing delays in diagnosis and treatment of this critical condition. Since its introduction, a number of UK clinicians have published audits and service reviews examining how [...]
The Wings for Life World Run raised a record €9.2m for spinal cord injury research, the event organisers said. The 13th edition of the global fundraising event took place on Sunday, with 346,527 participants across 173 countries. Runners, walkers and wheelchair users from 192 nationalities took part through seven flagship runs, 648 app run events [...]
The Spinal Injuries Association ‘I Didn’t Plan on This’ podcast has been nominated as podcast/audio campaign of the year at the UK Content Awards. The podcast series released in February 2026 was created to give voice and visibility to people whose lives are shaped, directly or indirectly by spinal cord injury (SCI). The nomination recognises [...]
