Developers claim that high-frequency stimulation could help paraplegics walk again.

Scientists from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL), Universita San Raffaele, and Scuola Sant'Anna developed a method that combines high-frequency electrical signals to the spinal cord with low-frequency ones.

They said the technique helps patients with partial spinal cord injuries regain movement.

Authorities said many spinal cord injury patients suffer from muscle stiffness, which affects approximately 70 per cent of them. This problem has made it hard to use spinal cord treatments to improve movement.

However, the new method—high-frequency electrical signals—helps block unusual muscle contractions, allowing patients to use rehabilitation methods that were previously ineffective.

The results, published in Science Translational Medicine, show that this combination of techniques overcomes muscle tightness and spasms.

Pietro Mortini, the head of Neurosurgery at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele and professor at Universita Vita-Salute San Raffaele, said: 'This is a safe and effective surgical procedure that offers a new perspective in treating patients with severe spinal cord damage.

'We are planning to expand this treatment to other clinical conditions in the near future.'

Clinical trials are still ongoing. While the early results 'have been promising', researchers believe that further testing is needed to understand the potential of the new treatment.

A paraplegic is an individual who experiences paralysis in the lower half of the body, often due to a spinal cord injury. This condition results from damage to the spinal cord, which can impair movement and sensation in the legs and lower torso while typically leaving the upper body and arms unaffected.

Paraplegia can result from various causes, including accidents, diseases, or congenital conditions.