https://medicalxpress.com/physiatry-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Physiatry Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, such as following a spinal cord injury, has made great strides in recent years. However, high-frequency stimulation pulses, which are used in many current applications, appear less efficient at activating those nerve fibers that are believed to contribute decisively to therapeutic effects. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by an international team with the participation of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-spinal-reveal-high-frequency-pulses.html Thu, 21 May 2026 19:00:02 EDT news698593321 A lightweight robotic device that facilitates neuromuscular recovery in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), helping them to stand unassisted, is published in Nature this week. Improved function persists after discontinuing training, demonstrating the potential for enduring recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-wearable-knee-robot-children-muscle.html Thu, 21 May 2026 14:40:04 EDT news698581801 Researchers have proposed new standards into the decades-old prosthetic donations market, improving the quality of lower limb prosthetic feet by two-thirds—a major quality of life boost for recipients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-prosthetic-feet-curb-medical-equipment.html Wed, 13 May 2026 14:00:03 EDT news697886281 A large, two-year study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and consisting of more than 1,400 adults living with chronic pain across the United States found that people who struggle to identify and describe their emotions experience greater disruption to daily life from pain over time due to increased psychological distress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-emotion-recognition-issues-linked-chronic.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:06 EDT news696599761 Most war amputees experience steady improvements in pain, psychological symptoms and quality of life over time, according to a new study that followed 156 Ukrainian amputees for one year and was led by Northwestern Medicine and collaborators in Ukraine. The findings are published in the journal eClinicalMedicine. The study is the first to track over time how anxiety, depression and quality of life interact with pain in an amputee population. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ukraine-war-amputees-pain-trauma.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:30:01 EDT news695979875 Restoring both walking and sensation to patients with paraplegia is an ambitious goal—but a team of researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is now one step closer. The team is building a fully implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows patients to use their thoughts to control wearable robotic legs, known as a robotic exoskeleton. The system is designed to help patients walk while also restoring the sensation of walking. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-brain-interface-paralysis-linking-thoughts.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:20:03 EDT news695555942 Even when people with incomplete spinal cord injuries can walk, everyday functions like standing, balancing or producing steady force may remain difficult. A new study shows why. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-reveals-unseen-motor-spinal-cord.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:00:06 EDT news695317201 Peripheral nerve injuries, often caused by traumatic events such as car accidents, falls or battlefield injuries, can leave patients with long-term weakness, numbness or loss of function. Despite surgery and advances in understanding and treating nerve injuries, many patients don't get all their movement or feeling back. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-gene-based-therapy-nerves-severe.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:40:05 EDT news694960181 Artificial limbs look and function more like real limbs than ever before—but that's only helpful if they are used as intended. One of the main reasons amputees give for not using their body-powered prosthesis is a lack of motivation or knowledge of how to properly use them. Part of the reason for this is that compared to the time and resources devoted to improving the comfort and function of prostheses, much less attention is spent on making prosthetic training more effective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-augmented-reality-prosthesis.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:00:05 EDT news694363070 Adding TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to outpatient physical therapy reduced movement-based pain and fatigue in patients with fibromyalgia, and the effects lasted for at least six months, according to a new study led by researchers at University of Iowa Health Care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-tens-physical-therapy-eases-fibromyalgia.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:20:03 EDT news693833701 The effects of spinal cord injuries are complex and multifaceted. People lose not only the ability to control the movement of their limbs, but also the ability to receive sensory feedback from them. Both are critical to generate the coordinated movement involved in walking. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-spinal-injury-leg-movement-sensory.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:00:05 EDT news692362381 A team of researchers from Skoltech, the Federal Center for Brain and Neurotechnologies (FMBA of Russia), Lomonosov Moscow State University, and other leading organizations has released a dataset that will enable deeper study of how the brain recovers after a stroke. The work, published in Scientific Data, is the first in the world to combine long-term recordings of brain activity obtained using two advanced methods—electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The data are openly available, allowing scientists worldwide to accelerate the development of personalized rehabilitation methods and brain-computer interfaces. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-recovery.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:20:03 EST news691781102 A new, fully customizable 3D printed socket design is set to transform the prosthetics industry. The reimagined limb socket interface combines highly personalized pressure mapping with AI software and a lighter infill, creating a highly customized prosthetic that's more comfortable to wear, for much longer, say researchers at Simon Fraser University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-prosthetic-combines-ai-3d.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:02 EST news691686300 Stroke patients with Medicare Advantage health insurance plans are less likely to be discharged to highly rated post-acute care than those covered by traditional Medicare, according to a new study co-led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University. The results, published this week in JAMA Network Open, also show these disparities were most pronounced among patients dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-medicare-advantage-medicaremedicaid-eligible-patients.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:40:05 EST news691255261 Patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) who complete computerized cognitive games show improved neuroplasticity and cognitive performance, according to new research published in Journal of Neurotrauma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-games-boost-white-chronic.html Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:00:06 EST news690715176 The way we understand the movement of our own bodies plays an important role when learning physical skills, from sports to dancing. But a new study finds this phenomenon works very differently for people learning to use robotic prosthetic devices. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-days-robotic-leg-people-misread.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:30:02 EST news690524589 Traditional stroke rehabilitation therapy focuses on restoring strength and movement to the more impaired side of the body, but a new randomized clinical trial has revealed that targeted therapy for the less impaired arm significantly improved movement and control for stroke survivors. The trial, led by researchers from Penn State and the University of Southern California (USC), compared the new approach to the standard best-practice therapy currently in use. The team said the findings, published today (Feb. 2) in JAMA Neurology, demonstrate that motor skills in the less-affected arm can be improved even years after a stroke occurs and could meaningfully enhance quality of life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-good-arm-motor-skills.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:00:01 EST news688992721 Chronic low back pain significantly affects quality of life for millions of people worldwide. Back pain makes it difficult to perform everyday tasks and is among the leading reasons why patients see their doctor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-basivertebral-nerve-ablation-early-sustained.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:29:25 EST news687688142 A study published in Neurology looks at how age may affect recovery for people with spinal cord injuries. "With population growth and improvements in medicine, the number of people diagnosed with spinal cord injury is increasing and the average age at the time of injury is rising," said study author Chiara Pavese, MD, Ph.D., of the University of Pavia in Pavia, Italy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-age-affects-recovery-spinal-cord.html Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:00:01 EST news685627021