Things happen that can take our lives off track. A catastrophic injury, stroke or other neurological condition is never part of anyone’s life plan. Rehabilitation and physical recovery is going to be viewed as a unique challenge or an insurmountable burden we have to face.

Our clients need help in seeking realistic and achievable goals and they need the guidance and the technology to act. However. just as important will be working through the steps that take us from intial inspiration through to the creation of a habit. Adherence to a rehabilitation programme is always necessary irrespective of the technology or therapy input we provide.

The European RISE study showed that complete lower motor neuron lesions resulting in denervated muscle could be successfully treated at home using a particular form of electrical stimulation. The project showed that both the muscle tissue quality and bulk could be rescued with regular use of this stimulation.

We work with the Stimulette RISE which is direct outcome from this work and builds upon a significant amount of fundamental and applied research. In this article, we consider why starting such therapy early is beneficial and for whom.

Functional Electrical Stimulation, or FES for short, is a very powerful tool in the hands of a capable therapist but is sadly still poorly understood and less often seen in clinical practice than it deserves. I think there are a number of reasons for this.
The first problem is perhaps the fact that using electrical energy for therapeutic effect has a long and sometimes colourful history. This may have led to the whole idea of using electricity as being associated with “quackery”.

Another problem has perhaps been the fact that FES requires some technical as well as clinical know-how. It should be obvious that the nature and form of the electrical energy should be well understood as this is necessary for safe and effective application. This is not helped by the fact that there is no consistent use of terminology and practical guidance is often lacking about evidence supporting it’s use.

Today the wheelchair is one of the most, if not the most, commonly used assistive device for the personal mobility of people with disabilities. I suspect that, throughout history, wheelchairs have often been seen as a source of frustration, and a necessary evil; something that no one actually wanted to use. What matters though is that we consider a wheelchair just like any object we design - within the context of it’s use. We can’t judge the product design in isolation from it’s functional use in the environment and the ambitions of the user. We look at how robotics has allowed a rethink of products for standing and moving.

Contractures resulting in an equinus deformity are commonly seen in many patients in critical care, neurological, spinal cord injury and the vascular wards. Muscle imbalance across the structures of the foot and ankle can quickly result in a deformity. The foot is a complex dynamic structure that adapts to the loads placed on it; shaped by the nature of the muscles, ligamentous and bony structures. We must understand the particular risks presented by the features of each condition when thinking of a remedy. It should be obvious, for example, that tissue viability must be considered in each case alongside the biomechanics of deformity correction. The 654 DDA Orthosis is a simple to use dynamic orthosis that has been proven to be an effective solution to halt and even reverse this condition.

The Tek RMD combines the ability to stand with the ability to move in a unique way that is suitable for many people who have lower limb paralysis or weakness. In this article we will look at some essential facts about this “robotic mobility device”.