Electrical device funded in-part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) helps paralyzed men move legs.
This first paragraph says it all:
LONDON (AP) — Three years ago, doctors reported that zapping a paralyzed man's spinal cord with electricity allowed him to stand and move his legs. Now they've done the same with three other patients, suggesting their original success was no fluke.
Sadly, medical breakthroughs such as this may become more rare in the near future, particularly if
Republican-backed efforts to gut the NIH continues. In the meantime, it's worth heralding this scientific achievement as an important medical milestone. And while scientists caution that this discovery is by no means a
"miracle cure", it is an important step forward, and one which "might eventually prove more effective than standard approaches, including medicines and physical therapy."
The above graph illustrates recent cuts to NIH's budget.