In January 2017, Professor Alan Mackay-Sim became Australian of the year. Through his Stem Cell research, he has brought hope to Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients.
So, what is SCI?
SCI is commonly caused by force, it can damage lesion, neurological structure and spare tissue. Complete or partial loss of sensory and motor function is the most significant result of injury. Most patient experience secondary complication, such as chronic pain, bladder dysfunction, infertility and autonomic dysfunction. SCI can be a social and economic burden.
Historically, Spinal Cord Injury was deadly in the first World War, the survival rate was increased during the World War II due to the discover of Antibiotic. Antibiotics have offered the opportunity for spinal injury studies with the focus functional recovery being at the centre.
Now looking through Chinese history, Chinese Medicine has been applied to Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) for thousands of years and it has shown effective results. Until now many aspects of how Acupuncture works has been mysterious. Scientists from Tufts University (Massachusetts) have found that cells can talk to each other and they can regenerate by changing their voltage. In other studies it has been found that Acupuncture can change the ion level of cells, therefore changing the cell’s voltage. Controlled Clinical Trials suggest that Acupuncture can help in the regeneration of neural cells and assist in restoring the function of the spine (cited by pubmed:PMC3586459).
With scientific and social open mindedness, the future only looks brighter as further research combines both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine.