Neurokinex has become the first organisation in the UK approved to deliver the ARC-EX spinal stimulation system from ONWARD Medical, marking a milestone in the community-based delivery of non-invasive neurorehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury.
The ARC-EX system is a non-invasive spinal stimulation therapy designed to improve upper limb strength, sensation and functional outcomes in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. Neurokinex, a provider of activity-based neurorehabilitation, will integrate the technology into its existing rehabilitation programmes from January 2026, offering the therapy to adults aged 18 to 75 years with chronic, non-progressive cervical spinal cord injuries between C2 and C8.
Neurokinex’s approval follows almost a decade of involvement in spinal stimulation research and collaboration with academic, clinical and industry partners. The organisation previously hosted Pathfinder clinical research pilots using ONWARD Medical’s devices, during which participants achieved meaningful functional improvements. This experience has informed the team’s readiness to implement ARC-EX stimulation in routine rehabilitation settings.
The ARC-EX system delivers programmed electrical stimulation through the skin to targeted areas of the spinal cord, using electrodes placed on the back of the neck. Unlike implanted spinal stimulation devices, the ARC-EX system requires no surgery. Therapy is delivered alongside structured, task-based rehabilitation under the supervision of trained specialists.
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Clinical evidence supporting the technology includes results from the Up-LIFT study, published in Nature Medicine, which reported improvements in upper limb strength or function in 90 per cent of participants. The majority of participants also reported gains in quality of life, alongside additional benefits such as reduced muscle spasms, improved sleep quality and enhanced upper body sensation. Restoration of hand and arm function is consistently identified as a top priority for people living with spinal cord injury due to its impact on independence in daily activities.
Neurokinex has described the introduction of ARC-EX as a significant step forward for the spinal cord injury community, enabling advanced neuromodulation technology to be combined with intensive, activity-based rehabilitation in a non-hospital setting.
This news item has been summarised using AI and checked by humans before publication.
Sources
neurokinex.org
ONWARD Medical
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