Epidural stimulation gives hope to South Jordan girl, paraplegics


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SOUTH JORDAN — Lizzy Prichett has been trying to walk for a year and a half. A car accident left her paralyzed.

"I can probably feel down to my elbows," she said.

She's made only small progress at Neuroworx physical therapy in South Jordan. But now she has new hope.

Dr. Dale Hull is the executive director of Neuroworx. He believes a new form of therapy called epidural stimulation being used by researches at the University of Louisville could change the future for people like Prichett.

"The epidural stimulation is measured voltage much like you plug your iPod into an amplifier to amplify the signals that are already there,” Hull said.

The signals are sent to the brain to initiate movement.

Four candidates were selected to participate in the study. One came from Neuroworx.

Dustin Shillcox worked on a machine called the therastride for more than a year until he stopped making progress.

After two years of epidural stimulation therapy, Shillcox gained back movement.

"Being able to move my legs, my toes, my ankles is just a huge change in my life for my self-confidence and my quality of life," Shillcox said.

Shillcox is one of 200 to 250 people who seek treatment in Utah for paralysis every year. There is now a possibility epidural-stimulation therapy could come to Utah within the next few years.

However, Prichett isn't waiting until then. She flies out Sunday to see if she'll qualify to, hopefully someday, move alongside her friend Shillcox.

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Devon Dolan

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