Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Electronic device helps paralyzed stroke victim walk again

What EXACT PROTOCOL does your doctor have for getting you running again(Not just walking)?

Electronic device helps paralyzed stroke victim walk again

ACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A Raymond man who suffered a stroke was unable to walk until he was introduced to life-changing technology.

The avid runner regained some movement through rehab, but his quality of life was not the same. His future was uncertain until he said he found the electronic device that gave him back what he had lost.

“All anybody ever really wants is what you had before this happened,” said Darryl Blakely.

He is now walking after suffering a stroke last April that left him paralyzed. He felt a pain in his hip and suddenly lost function on his right side.

“And the day before, if you would have told me to run four miles, I would have said let’s go,” said Blakely. “And then the day this happened I couldn’t even make two steps.”

Two months ago, that changed when his Methodist Rehabilitation therapist suggested the Bioness L300 Go, which uses functional electrical stimulation. He wears it on his right leg.

“In a month, I could get around two or three steps, and since then, I’ve made a dramatic improvement,” said the recovering stroke victim. “Two weeks ago, I walked four miles. It took two hours, but you know, because I like to walk and run, I did it.”

The 55-year-old still undergoes therapy for his right arm, but with the electronic stimulation, he has resumed managing apartments and much of his daily work activity.

“This thing senses that you want to move, and it sends a signal to the muscle and stimulates it and makes your foot pick up.”

The husband, father, and grandfather admit the device is expensive, costing about $10,000, and was purchased through help from vocational rehab.

“I’m just thankful for people who spend the time to think of things to help people get their life back together,” added Blakely.

The device was developed in 2017. According to Bioness Rehab, the L300 Go is the world’s first Functional Electronic Stimulation that integrates proprietary 3D motion detection.

It detects gait events, providing stimulation precisely when needed making it easier to clear their foot at varying walking speeds, on stairs, ramps, and while navigating uneven territory. The L300 Go can help people with certain medical conditions walk more confidently.

Video at link.

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