A novel rehabilitation technology: gait training with WalkAide for post-stroke patients

Abstract

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technique used to produce contractions in paralyzed muscles by the application of small pulses of electrical stimulation to nerves that supply the paralyzed muscle. FES applied to the peroneal nerve during the swing phase of ambulation provides active dorsiflexion and can reduce foot drop by facilitating voluntary muscle activity, and improving gait quality and symmetry. The WalkAide FES system's unique control system, with tilt sensors to trigger electrical stimulation during the swing phase, can help normalize gait and thus optimize safety, cosmesis and energy efficiency in people with stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and a wide range of other CNS disorders. The feature of WalkAide are cuff, programming options, personalized solution, single battery operation, patented accelerometer, and freedom in footwear option. The results of previous studies showed the WalkAide to be equivalent to the ankle-foot orthoses for improvements in balance, gait ability, and muscle architecture of tibialis anterior of stroke survivors. We can expect further development of new applications of electrical stimulation in combination with other therapeutic exercises. Further studies should examine whether WalkAide enables better performance in tasks involving functional mobility, and activities of daily living.