Lorenz kerscher [creativecommons license] via Wikimedia CommonsTwo studies presented at Neuroscience 2012, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (13–17 October 2012; New Orleans, LA), reflect current advances in understanding and treating spinal cord injury (SCI). More than a quarter of a million people in the US live with SCIs, which can be debilitating because they limit movement or feeling, cause pain and lead to chronic health problems.