Some paraplegics getting movement back

Q: Lately I’ve read about paraplegics with damaged spinal cords who are able to walk again using the latest technology. Can you explainhowthatworks?— Angie B., Salisbury, Maryland

A: Sure. But to be clear, exoskeletons (that is structures outside of the body) have been around for a few years, and they do help paraplegics walk. We believe what you’re talking about is spinal cord stimulation using 16 small electronic sensors implanted along the damaged area of the spine to increase the volume on nerve sensations so that the brain can “hear” the signals and move the limbs below the point of spinal injury.

That technology was applied by researchers at the University of Louisville to four people with spinal cord injuries who couldn’t move their legs.

The patients who received the implants had sustained their injuries between 2.2 and 3.5 years earlier, according to the researchers. Two of them went through “278 sessions of epidural stimulation and gait training over a period of 85 weeks and [two worked through] 81 sessions over a period of 15 weeks … and all four achieved independent standing and trunk stability.” That’s a lot of work, but with intense training and intense electrostim it paid off.

Q: My aunt and my cousin have had breast cancer, now my sister has been diagnosed. Should we get genetic testing to see if it’s something that runs in the family? If it does, what’s my next step? — Kate G., Pauling, New York

A: Yes, you (and anyone in a similar situation) should consult a genetic counselor at a nearby academic center to discover what testing might reveal. You also can access such expert advice through a virtual medicine app.

According to Dr. Holly Pederson, the director of Cleveland Clinic’s Medical Breast Services, about 10 to 15 percent of breast cancer cases are truly hereditary, meaning there’s a genetic mutation passed down from generation to generation that markedly increases the chance of getting breast cancer.

Finding out if you have that increased risk of developing the disease is a good thing! If you’re a woman with a genetic predisposition (you carry the BRAC1 or BRAC2 mutation or both) you can have up to an 80 percent risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer during your lifetime. Testing gives you a chance to take preventive medications or have risk-reducing surgery.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.