With the aid of a chemical injection, electrical shock, and robotic harness, researchers are now able to help rats with spinal cord injuries walk again. The process has been in the works for five years, and today it can help rats with paralyzing lesions not only walk, but even run and traverse obstacles like a small flight of stairs. It works like this: first, the rats are injected with a chemical solution that helps trigger certain cellular responses in the spine, and a few minutes later the spinal cord is given an electrical shock to help stimulate the nerves that control leg movement.