Without any doubt, lightweight wheelchairs can help those of us with impaired mobility. Its hard to believe that an estimated 1 in 50 folk have some form of paralysis most of whom do not require wheelchairs as their symptoms are not sufficiently debilitating. Unfortunately paralysis often means more to the individual involved with chronic pain and impaired bodily functions being commonplace along with sensory issues and other effects due to being immobile.

Whether paralysis is caused by an accident or is a side effect of another medical condition it has the same effect on the individual in that the body cannot respond correctly to the instructions it normally receives from the brain. As well as the obvious immobility paralysis often causes other conditions including ones sense of self identity due to their restrictions on independence. Instead of being viewed as another person, some paralysed people can often feel defined by their wheelchair.

So can science really help us rediscover our mobility ? Developments like lightweight wheelchairs help paralysed people to better cope with immobility, but scientists are now developing new solutions that may make a big difference and put people back in control.

How is this being done ? Although it is very unlikely that paralysis of all forms could be cured, there are emerging innovations that help to bypass the problems the brain has giving instruction to other pats of the body. This is being explored in a number of ways including:

Regenerative medication using stem cells to regenerate damaged nerve cells in order to help restore their function including the ultimate goal of correcting damaged communication between the brain and muscles

Nerve stimulation technology - where electrical currents are used to create new message pathways which when used in conjunction with rehab can help to restore movement to some patients.

This is highly specialised research being developed to treat paralysis. It is hoped that scientists can piece together many types of work from different fields in order to produce life-changing breakthroughs. If this is the case could it ever be the end of the need for the wheelchair ?