Is it possible for the spinal cord to heal?

[maisiemarie]

I have weekness and muscle spasticity in my calves and feet. I'm just wondering if I have a chance to recover some and if the spinal cord can heal?

[sllowe]

Ok - I see, the scar is from damage from MS in your t-spine?  I'm sorry, I should of asked that initially.  

In the context of MS I say yes, there is always hope. The can remyelinate, and you may regain some function from before the attack even if there is no remyelination.

Physical and disease modifying therapy can help, and time. Not everyone experiences this, but it is very, very possible.

I pulled these discussions and health pages that I thought you would find informative, and promising. Not all of them will address your exact question, but there are pieces in there that do :)

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Lesions---Can-they-Disappear-A-Hypothetical-Case-Overview/show/566?cid=36

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Disappearing-Lesions---What-is-the-Significance-in-MS/show/728410

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/How-MRIs-Show-Lesions-in-MS/show/23?cid=36

Hope this helps.
-Shell

[maisiemarie]

I am just looking for hope. It is a small scar in my thorasic from an attack from what I understand. My left leg is stiff and loss of feeling in my right foot. I have heard so many wonderful stories where people recover and wonder if the possibility exists for me.

Sincerely,
Maia Marie

[sllowe]

Hi MaiseMarie,

Welcome to the forum. Are you asking about spinal cord injury, SCI? Complete, partial? Or, are you asking about damage from demyelinating diseases like MS?

[CanCanRun]

I'd like an answer to that one too. I have a black hole lesion on my C1 - which, unfortunately means that the majority of my body is affected by it, and since it's a black hole I know the chances of it ever going away at this point is pretty much none. =( But it would be nice to know if the standard MS lesions can heal sometimes on the spinal cord.

I have been told by three neuros now that spinal lesions are the nasty ones, since the brain is so great at rerouting signals, but the spinal cord doesn't react that way, and with everything is such a compressed space a spinal lesion has a much greater impact on a person than a brain lesion of similar size would. =(

[jensequitur]

I wish I knew the answer to that.  As far as I can tell, the spinal cord doesn't heal.  It'll get some scarring, and the neuron paths learn a different way to get to your legs and brain, but I think the lesion/scar will still be there.

I have the same problem.  I have several in my upper spine, and one at T10 that causes my walking problems.