A promising non-invasive technique can help paralysed limbs move
All that’s needed is electricity and exercise
FOURTEEN YEARS ago, Melanie Reid, a journalist, fell off a horse and broke her neck. The injury to her spinal cord left her paralysed, limiting the function of her four limbs and torso—a condition known as tetraplegia. For years her left hand was incapable of either sensation or motion. Now, however, Ms Reid can not only move that hand; she can also, as she puts it, practise the “right to put my hair in a ponytail”.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Electric shock”
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