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Article: Sole use of impaired limb improves recovery in spinal cord injury.
- Article from:
- NewsRx Health
- Article date:
- October 5, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 NewsRX. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A new study finds that following minor spinal cord injury, rats that had to use impaired limbs showed full recovery due to increased growth of healthy nerve fibers and the formation of new nerve cell connections. Published in the September 17 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, these findings help explain how physical therapy advances recovery, and support the use of rehabilitation therapies that specifically target impaired limbs in people with brain and spinal cord injuries.
"After brain and spinal cord injuries, exercise-based physical therapy is the primary rehabilitative strategy in use today," said Stephen Strittmatter, MD, PhD, at Yale University School ...