Monday, March 02, 2009

Major New Development For Me!

I was dismissed from Scott County Physical Therapy a couple of weeks ago, and am now going to Edgewood, KY for further therapy. The new development relates to what I am going for. A couple of weeks ago on 'The Morning Show' on NBC, Meredith Viera was interviewing a young woman who had MS and tried out a newer device, the Bioness L300. This device, which is worn around the leg just below the knee, offers major hope for those, like me, who stumble and sometimes fall because of 'foot drop'. The device, which consists of three separate pieces, 1)a wireless sensor which is placed in the shoe just under the heel, 2)the device itself, and 3)a remote control. When worn and turned on, the device senses when the heel is raised and sends an electrical impulse to the main piece which in turn causes the muscles of the non-compliant leg to contract thereby lifting the toe end of the foot, returning the user to a near-normal stride. Unbelievable! During my initial trial last week, it actually worked. I am going to be returning to the facility for several more visits in order to be further trained in its use and for the system to be further adjusted so that it can meet my individual needs.

The system is also supposed to have a positive effect on my fatigue, as well as targeting some balance issues. I can't wait to be able to take it home and use it for extended periods. Another main goal of the unit is to help 'retrain' muscles which haven't been used in quite a while.

Stay tuned ----