Hi Everybody,
DAREK FIDYKA- It seems there may now be a cure for certain types of paralysis. A man named Darek Fidyka has become the first person to regain the ability to walk after having his spinal nerves cut completely in half.
Darek had been paralyzed from the waist down after being repeatedly stabbed in the back in 2010, but can now walk and drive his car, though he uses aids to help him walk.
HOW?- Nerve supporting cells were taken from Darek’s nose and injected into areas just above and just below the injured nerves. The treatment used olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) – specialist cells that form part of the sense of smell. OECs act as pathway cells that enable nerve fibers in the olfactory system to be continually renewed. The scientists believe the OECs provided a pathway to enable fibers above and below the injury to reconnect, using the nerve grafts to bridge the gap in the cord.
The team of researchers and surgeons responsible for this procedure are hoping that it will catch on, and allow more paralyzed people to walk again.
Hope this helps,
Dr Matt and Dr Robin
mattandrobin@yahoo.com (email)
This week’s bit of Useless Information: When a Virginia school board tried to ban “To Kill a Mockingbird” as immoral, author Harper Lee wrote a letter asking if the board members were literate and donated money to enroll them in the first grade.
This email is courtesy of Matthew Barnes, D.C. and Robin Barnes, D.C. Neither this nor any of our emails are intended to be medical advice and should not be taken as such. They are opinion and are for informational purposes only. None of the nutrients discussed here are meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.