mobility

Every time I find myself in a multistory building, I end up on an elevator. It’s not as though I’m too lazy to take the stairs — well, OK, I am lazy — but in this case, it’s because my wheelchair won’t climb one, much less a flight of them.

A robot-assisted training program that uses game-like activities to improve upper limb function was met with high satisfaction and enjoyment by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small study has found. Most of the participants reported the intervention improved their ability to do day-to-day activities, such as using a…

Using wearable sensors to monitor gait during daily life may be a promising way to identify people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have a greater risk of falling, a study found. The study identified a number of gait differences between those who fell in the year and those who…

Robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) may be the most effective form of physical exercise for improving mobility among people with severe multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent review study. Other exercise types, such as conventional walking, treadmill training, and yoga, may also be feasible and effective, however, the researchers…

Cionic has collaborated with the multidisciplinary design firm fuseproject to further develop its artificial intelligence-powered, wearable Neural Sleeve, which improves mobility for those living with conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The partnership with Yves Behar and his firm fuseproject resulted in a design that focuses on…

Degree Deodorant wants people to have the confidence to persevere in the face of obstacles or self doubt. To that end, the leading antiperspirant company is introducing its Not Done Yet Marathon Team, composed of individuals, including a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient, who did not finish their marathon.

As anyone with chronic illness knows, leaving the house requires planning. There’s much more to think about than what’s visible, especially if you’re relying on public transport. In the days preceding last week’s appointment with my multiple sclerosis (MS) nurse, I was contemplating just how long it’d been since…

An assistive device made it significantly easier and more comfortable for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with arm and hand mobility problems to self-administer nabiximols — an oral spray containing compounds found in the cannabis plant — a study found. Trained nurses involved in the study agreed with its…

So I’m at my multiple sclerosis (MS) exercise class working out on a sit-down bike. Yes, I know, by their very nature bikes tend to be of the sit-down variety, but for us lot in wheelchairs, these bikes are designed so we can roll up to them and have…

Cionic‘s leg-worn Neural Sleeve, recently authorized in the U.S. to aid walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that impair mobility, reduced foot drop in a small clinical trial. Patients in the trial also reported marked reductions in pain and mental health problems, according to…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Ekso Bionics clearance to market its wearable robotic exoskeleton to aid in rehabilitation programs to improve gait and mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dubbed EksoNR, the device had been approved by the regulatory agency for stroke and spinal…

I’ve just received four intramuscular Botox injections in my right arm to relieve the muscle spasticity that comes with multiple sclerosis. (OK, it wasn’t actually Botox, but Dysport, or abobotulinumtoxinA, another medication derived from the botulinum toxin to block muscle contractions.) And “my right arm is going…

Using the portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device during a targeted exercise program significantly improves walking skills in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent real-word data. Notably, significant improvements were observed from the second week onward, and more than half of the 42 patients patients experienced clinically meaningful gains…

“The carousel never stops turning.” – the TV drama “Grey’s Anatomy” At the 2019 European Patients’ Forum Congress in Brussels, which focused on patient involvement in healthcare, attendees were invited to write down a list of goals they wished to achieve in the next 12 months. After rolling my…

Biogen has entered a licensing agreement to develop and potentially commercialize MedRhythms‘ investigational music-based digital therapy, MR-004, designed to help make walking easier for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The partnership combines Biogen’s leadership and expertise in MS with MedRhythms’ digital therapeutics platform that uses sensors, algorithms, and music…

PoNS Device for MS-associated Gait Problems Now Available in US One clinical trial showed that MS patients who used the portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device as part of an exercise program had greater improvements in gait than those using only the exercise program. A second trial showed that those…

My column’s handle is “Fall Down, Get Up Again” because the first piece I wrote for Multiple Sclerosis News Today was titled “A Mountain to Climb with MS — in My Living Room.” That column got me this gig five years ago. It was set in 2012, mind you,…

The portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) device, which improves walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), is now available commercially in the U.S. for patients ages 22 and older who have a prescription from their healthcare provider. The device was approved last year by the U.S. Food…

Photo courtesy of Lance Schultz Day 30 of 31 This is Lance Schultz’s (@drlschultz) story: My first symptoms began in 2006, the year I turned 50. At first, a cold breeze on my legs would cause severe spasticity. I would walk like Frankenstein’s monster. Shortly thereafter,…

Photo courtesy of Roy Padilla Day 28 of 31 This is Roy Padilla’s (@royale_padilla) story: My journey with MS began around fall 2008 (allegedly). One morning, I woke up with a small headache, that day by day got worse. It became so bad I couldn’t keep my balance.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Campbell Day 11 of 31 This is Tyler Campbell’s (@tcspeaks32 ) story: At 22, I was suffering from paralysis and even erectile dysfunction. I felt so lost and yearned to be found. I needed a friend, someone to lean on who wouldn’t judge…

Cionic has received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its lightweight, leg-worn Neural Sleeve to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that affect mobility. The decision comes four months after the company submitted the device — the first to…

Reservations at a base lodge have been made, and a starting date is circled on her calendar. MS hiker April Hester is ready to start up the Appalachian Trail in the eastern U.S. It’s always an uphill hike for April, even when the trail is flat. She was diagnosed with…

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England is set to again recommend against adding Fampyra (fampridine) to the list of medications available to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with walking difficulties through the country’s national health service (NHS). The poor cost-effectiveness of Fampyra — sold…

As I glance over at the lonesome wheelchair skulking in the shadows of my living room, I recall its arrival like it was yesterday, though it’s been more than four years. My husband, and then carer, had paraded it through the house as if it were a savior, there to…

Lucid-MS, a new chemical molecule being developed by FSD Pharma for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), has shown the ability to restore motor function in an animal model of the disease, the company announced. After about 50 days of treatment, animals receiving Lucid-MS showed a marked decrease…

“Shoes are the quickest way for women to achieve instant metamorphosis.” — Manolo Blahnik As the holidays approach, I’m reminded to be thankful for what I have. I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at 26 years old, and when I became paralyzed, I thought I’d never…

Neubie, a neuromuscular electrical stimulation device developed by NeuFit, led to measurable improvements in function and strength in the six multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who participated in a three-day physical therapy bootcamp, the company announced in a press release. The Neubie device is part of the NeuFit…

Wearable ‘Neural Sleeve’ Counters Foot Drop, Aids Mobility in Study This is a neat concept, described by the manufacturer as a lightweight sleeve on the lower leg that predicts the movement a leg is about to make. Then it sends a signal to the muscles to help lift that…

Long-term use of a high-dose nutritional supplement containing specific antioxidant vitamins and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may boost walking performance and other measures of functional capacity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new study found. The study, “The Effects of Specific Omega-3 and…