Breathing low oxygen boosts hand strength in spinal cord injury patients?

This early-phase study tested whether short bursts of low-oxygen breathing (acute intermittent hypoxia) combined with high-intensity arm training could improve hand and arm function in 58 people with chronic spinal cord injury. Participants had injuries between neck levels C1 and T1 and were at least 6 months post-injury. The goal was to see if this safe, non-invasive approach could boost nerve signals and help with daily tasks like grasping and coordination.