Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital and Outpatient Therapy at Delray Medical Center acquires a new alternative to help combat foot drop – the inability to raise the front part of the foot due to weakness or paralysis of the muscles that lift the foot.

 

The WalkAide® System at Pinecrest, which can be used for inpatient and outpatient therapy, is a battery-operated electrical stimulator that is worn around the patient’s leg, just below the knee. It applies low-level electrical currents directly to a motor nerve in the leg, which prompts the muscles to raise the foot at the appropriate time, allowing the patient to walk more normally.

 

Unlike traditional bracing used to treat foot drop, the WalkAide® System’s highly sophisticated sensor eliminates the need for additional external wiring to insoles. This means that it may be worn barefoot or with flip-flops/slippers, if approved by a healthcare professional. Its compact size also allows it to be worn discreetly under most clothing.

 

In addition to improving the patient’s gait, medical benefits of WalkAide® may include a decrease in muscle disuse, decreased muscle weakness, increased local blood flow, improved muscle strength and voluntary motor control, increased joint range of motion, and enhanced function of the corticospinal pathways, resulting in improved lower limb control.