Participants will undergo walking training for 30 mins, 3 x a week for 12 weeks. During the walking training participants will receive electrical stimulation through the spinal cord, this is non-invasive and delivered using 2 stick-on electrodes. Participants are randomly allocated to receive either spinal stimulation, or something that looks and feels like spinal stimulation but that we know will not have any treatment effect (called a placebo). 

To see if the therapy is effective at improving walking, participants perform 3 assessment sessions on site; two before the 12 weeks of walking training, one immediately after the training. And then one phone assessment at 3-months after the training. 

These assessments include clinical tests to assess your walking ability, strength, sensation and the amount of spasticity in your legs and some questionnaires. We also conduct tests that assess the connections between your spinal cord and your leg muscles. 

We have eWalk2 trial sites at different locations around Australia so please contact us if you are interested (contact details below).

The eWalk2 trial has an extensive list of inclusion and exclusion criteria, if you are unsure if you meet these please contact us.

Inclusion Criteria 

• Aged 18 years or older at the time of consent and able to give informed consent; 
• Diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (neurological level between C1 and T12), at least one year ago; 
• Able to take at least two steps with no harnessed body weight support. The steps may be completed with assistance braces, gait aids or within parallel bars; 
• Have some voluntarily control in one or more leg muscles; 
  Willing and able to participate in the training program three times a week for 12 weeks, and a follow-up telephone call approximately 6 months later; 
• Considered by their spinal specialist to be medically stable and able to take part in the training program. 

Exclusion Criteria 

• Have a history of clinically significant autonomic dysreflexia in response to electrical stimulation; 
• Have a history of hypotension in response to prolonged standing; 
• Have a progressive neurological disease 
• Have any other major neurological condition other than the spinal cord injury (e.g., severe traumatic brain injury or stroke) that would limit your ability to participate in the training and/or assessment (as judged by the treating therapist/physician and clinical trial team); 
• Have a history of multiple broken bones in the legs, family history of a person whose bones break easily or any disorders of the bone (e.g. Paget’s disease); 
• Had surgery in the last 3 months. You may still be eligible if you had minimally invasive surgery (e.g. keyhole procedure). This must be determined by your spinal specialist or GP; 
• Have a progressive syringomyelia (syrinx; fluid-filled cyst or cavity in spinal cord) on recent MRI. You may still be eligible if your syringomyelia is non-progressive. This must be determined by a neurosurgeon; 
• Have severe lower limb spasticity or contractures; 
• Have a serious medical condition preventing you from adhering to the protocol. Examples include cognitive impairment (i.e. trouble remembering or learning), drug dependency, psychiatric illness or behavioural problem; 
• Have a moderate to severe pressure ulcer (Stage 3 or 4); 
• Have a muscle-skin graft that was taken from a locomotor muscle such as the gluteal or hamstring muscles; 
• Have a cardiac pacemaker, a lower limb or vertebral fracture, a baclofen pump, an electronic implant or are pregnant; 
• Have an upper limb injury that prevents you from being able to hold yourself up with your arms; 
• Have a history of stem cell or olfactory ensheathing cell therapy in the last 5 years; 
• Are taking part in another clinical trial, including the follow-up period.

If you are interested in the eWalk2 trial or would like more information.

Please contact one of our team members: 

E: scirc.research@sydney.edu.au
P: 0422 976 691 

Ethics committee approval number: 2026/HE000011 
Recruitment finish date: 02/09/2029 12:00 AM