People with spinal cord injuries are regaining motor function and the ability to walk more naturally after self-medicating with psilocybin.
Psilocybin is primarily studied for its ability to treat depression and anxiety by re-wiring the brain. Three patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries reported significant physical improvements after taking the drug. They experienced better muscle control and a return of automatic walking patterns that had been lost for years. The drug likely works by amplifying the faint signals still traveling through the damaged nerve pathways. This suggests that psychedelics might have a profound future in physical rehabilitation for paralyzed patients.
Case series of psilocybin self-medication for spinal cord injury
SSRN · 6718771
Current spinal cord injury treatments primarily manage symptoms rather than promote neurological recovery. Psilocybin enhances neuroplasticity through 5-HT2A agonism and brain-derived neurotrophic factor upregulation, suggesting therapeutic potential for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. We conducted semi-structured interviews with three individuals who had incomplete spinal cord injuries (C4–C5, T7, T12; American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades B–D) and self-medicated with ps