Jun
30
Saving Grace: Device gives walking help to those with disorders
Filed Under News, Personal Stories, Research
By Laci Holcombe | FOR THE AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Three lightweight, wireless devices have given Lubbock resident Frank Jones grace – something multiple sclerosis stole from him several years ago.
Jones, a Vietnam veteran who has retired from the Army and lives on a farm, still has bruises from his last fall. He tripped in his living room and banged his head against a closet door.
But the bruises will fade soon, and Jones hasn’t had a bad fall since purchasing the NESS L300, a relatively new device that uses mild electrical stimulation to help people with neurological disorders and traumatic injuries walk.
Jones, 67, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003, but he lived with the symptoms for 35 years before his diagnosis. The disease progressed to the point where several years ago he developed foot drop, a condition in which a person can’t lift his or her toes when walking.
The L300 uses electrical pulses to lift a person’s toes and foot while he or she is walking.
It’s intended to help people with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders. Made by the Bioness company, the device received Food and Drug Administration clearance in July 2006.
It has a pressure sensor that goes under the heel, a stimulator that looks like a knee brace, and a control unit the patient can put in a pocket or wear around his or her neck. The three pieces work together wirelessly.
Jones, a man who is quick to smile and passes his days on his farm, said the device has taken the edge off an unpredictable disease.
For more information (and contact information for the company that makes the device), read the rest via Saving Grace: Device gives walking help to those with disorders | FOR THE AVALANCHE-JOURNAL.
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