Case story

Injury Level: T12-L1

Surgery Age: 40

Surgery Date: DEC 30, 2021

Before the spinal cord stimulation surgery, the patient had undergone three years of rehabilitation. Due to the loss of sensation in his lower limbs, he required the use of two quad canes while walking. His walking like penguin waddling gait. His body posture should be upright with slightly open and bent feet to support him, but It’s easy to fall down on uneven surfaces. While he managed most activities of daily living independently, returning to work remained difficult.

After the spinal cord stimulation surgery, he felt more sensation in his lower limb. During our rehabilitation program, we enhanced his gait and trunk control through the "FREE WALK" device. Now, he can ambulate with the crutch independently, his walking speed has notably increased compared to pre-surgery, no need to worried about the problem of falls.

Injury Level: C5

Surgery Age: 51

Surgery Date: JUN 4, 2020

Mr.Chiou, a 55-year-old SCI (spinal cord injury) patient, endured C5 level spinal cord injury. In 2018, while he was surfing, a rogue wave hit him against a rock. His life was changed forever as he became paralyzed. Due to the weakness in his left leg, he feels exhausted after walking for twenty minutes.

In 2020, he noticed that Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital promotes a treatment which combines Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rehabilitation, including G-SCF(Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor), acupuncture, and rehabilitation robotics. He initially received G-CSF treatment at Dr.Lin Shing Rong’s clinic, then transfer to Dr. Tsai Sheng-Tzung’s clinic for spinal cord stimulation.

Mr.Chiou received spinal cord stimulation for two and a half years. Before the spinal cord stimulation surgery, he was struggled with weakened control in the left leg nerve. The stimulator helped him improve stability during walking. With the high-intensity rehabilitation, focus on muscular strength, endurance and balance, this would achieve an auxiliary effect while walking.

Mr.Chiou said “Before the stimulator implantation, I could only stand for five minutes. Even walking at home with a crutch may cause to fall, and I couldn’t sit for a long time. My leg would begin to swell up as long as the conference lasts longer, which was very uncomfortable for me. After undergoing rehabilitation with spinal cord stimulation, I can now work out at the gym. My leg support has improved by more than fifty percent. Now I can cross the street and climb stairs, even drive from Taipei to Hualien for follow-up appointment on my own.

The most important thing is that now he can return to the workplace, and also solved the problem about legs swelling when sitting for a long time. Everything has turned to normal in his life and work quality. His walking goes smoothly, and the stimulator helps stabilize the nerve in his left leg for better stability.

Injury Level: T12

Surgery Age: 29

Surgery Date: JUN 14, 2021

An accident in which he fell down from the top of the levee, he suffered a fracture of the 12th thoracic space. Due to the damage to the spinal, the transmission of nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord was interrupted, resulting in a loss of motor and sensory in his lower limbs.

Following an emergency surgery and two months of rehabilitation, there was some muscle recovery, but the rehabilitation process was arduous and lengthy. Over the past two years, he has diligently undergone physical therapy, though progress has been slow. He always held onto hope and asked doctors if there were new treatment methods that could improve his condition.

On the advice of the medical team, he underwent spinal cord stimulation. Through this treatment, his lower limb muscles gradually began to be activated and trained with the help of stimulation. Initially, he could only support his body with his hands and maintain stability on a balance beam. However, as rehabilitation continued, he started using mobility aids for walking exercises. With the aid of a suspension system, he could practice standing and walking in a safe environment, allowing him to re-experience the sensation of exerting effort. From initially being completely unable to exert force to now being able to support himself with his own strength.