Spinal injury patients walk again after water-based therapyRSS Feed

A number of spinal injury patients have re-gained the ability to walk thanks to physical therapy on an underwater treadmill.

Physical therapist Sandra Stevens has helped many people to walk again using the rehabilitation method, Newswise.com reports.

Ms Stevens is using the underwater treadmill, which is inside a fibreglass tank containing 270 gallons of water, for her doctoral research at Middle Tennessee State University.

One patient, Janette Rodgers, was told she would never walk again after she was involved in a car accident and was even nearly taken off life-support.

Ms Rodgers is now walking and her speed is increasing. "She's doing great at walking in the tank. It's pretty exciting," Ms Stevens told the website.

She went on to say that the patients can build on the progress they have made when they are at home. "As they challenge themselves everyday, it contributes to their improvement," she added.

It was recently announced that grant of $1.8 million (£1.13 million) had been awarded to three research centres in China for stem cell development and clinical trials, which could help to cure spinal injuries.

Serious Law, leading spinal cord injury solicitors

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