Christopher Reeve Recovers Some Function
Christopher Reeve Recovers Some Function
Progress Shows That Late Recovery Is Possible
Sept. 12, 2002 -- Paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve has regained the ability to feel and can even wiggle his fingers and breathe on his own for up to an hour, thanks to a rigorous program of muscle stimulation and repetitive motion exercise.
The actor and paralysis advocate once vowed to walk again by his 50th birthday, which is two weeks away. His doctors say the progress he has made is almost as remarkable, but a paralysis expert contacted by WebMD remains unconvinced. Eight years after suffering severe spinal injury in a horseback-riding accident, Reeve can now move his right wrist and hand and can sense light touch, pressure, and heat over about 65% of his body.
The Superman star's late improvement defies conventional wisdom about spinal cord injuries. It is believed that improvement occurs largely in the first six months after injury and that functional recovery is all but impossible after two years. But most of Reeve's recovery took place five years and longer after his accident.
"I think the message here is never give up hope because you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow," says Linda Schultz, PhD, who is part of Reeve's medical team.
Paralysis investigator Edelle Field-Fote, PhD, says Reeve's improvement may have little relevance for the average person with chronic spinal injuries because the actor receives a level of care that few could duplicate. Field-Fote is with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
"This research is important because it shows that late gains are possible," she says. "But these gains in strength seen here are minimal and have little to do with functional ability. We have known for some time that people with chronic injuries can make improvements years after the injury. But the question that remains to be answered -- and I don't think this research answers it -- is whether those improvements are worth the kind of effort that is needed to get them."
The assisted-exercise regimen has helped the actor build muscle mass and bone density and avoid or reverse some of the most common serious health problems associated with extreme paralysis, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and persistent infections. Before 1999, he experienced nine life-threatening complications and required about 600 days of antibiotic treatment. But he has not been hospitalized in the past three years and has required only about 60 days of antibiotics during that time.
Christopher Reeve Recovers Some Function
Progress Shows That Late Recovery Is Possible
Sept. 12, 2002 -- Paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve has regained the ability to feel and can even wiggle his fingers and breathe on his own for up to an hour, thanks to a rigorous program of muscle stimulation and repetitive motion exercise.
The actor and paralysis advocate once vowed to walk again by his 50th birthday, which is two weeks away. His doctors say the progress he has made is almost as remarkable, but a paralysis expert contacted by WebMD remains unconvinced. Eight years after suffering severe spinal injury in a horseback-riding accident, Reeve can now move his right wrist and hand and can sense light touch, pressure, and heat over about 65% of his body.
The Superman star's late improvement defies conventional wisdom about spinal cord injuries. It is believed that improvement occurs largely in the first six months after injury and that functional recovery is all but impossible after two years. But most of Reeve's recovery took place five years and longer after his accident.
"I think the message here is never give up hope because you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow," says Linda Schultz, PhD, who is part of Reeve's medical team.
Paralysis investigator Edelle Field-Fote, PhD, says Reeve's improvement may have little relevance for the average person with chronic spinal injuries because the actor receives a level of care that few could duplicate. Field-Fote is with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
"This research is important because it shows that late gains are possible," she says. "But these gains in strength seen here are minimal and have little to do with functional ability. We have known for some time that people with chronic injuries can make improvements years after the injury. But the question that remains to be answered -- and I don't think this research answers it -- is whether those improvements are worth the kind of effort that is needed to get them."
The assisted-exercise regimen has helped the actor build muscle mass and bone density and avoid or reverse some of the most common serious health problems associated with extreme paralysis, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and persistent infections. Before 1999, he experienced nine life-threatening complications and required about 600 days of antibiotic treatment. But he has not been hospitalized in the past three years and has required only about 60 days of antibiotics during that time.
Source...