Wearable spinal nerve zap device brings ‘life-changing’ gains for people with paralysis

A wearable device that zaps spinal nerves with an electrical current brought life-changing improvements to people with paralysis in a pivotal international trial.

Researchers found that pairing standard rehabilitation exercises with the Arc-Ex device helped spinal injury patients regain strength and movement in their hands and arms.The improvements were described as profound, with 87% of participants reporting a better quality of life.

Arc-Ex — developed by Dutch firm ONWARD Medical — works by stimulating intact nerves which bridge the injury site. Over half of spinal cord injury patients still have some.

Times journalist Melanie Reid, who has been living with a spinal cord injury for 10 years, trialled the device through Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit.

“Your hands are so intrinsically taken for granted, but they are vital to so many aspects of someone’s quality of life,” she said. “It’s a woman’s right to be able to put her hair up in a scrunchie, and the therapy allowed me to do that.”The device is expected to be approved for use in the US this year. Europe is set to follow.