Pioneering device could help patients with Parkinson's, which affects 150,000 people in the UK, to walk again
A pioneering device could help patients with the incurable neurological disease Parkinson's walk again, researchers suggest.
Nearly 150,000 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson's disease, a degenerative condition that can cause tremors, muscle stiffness and slowness of movement as nerve cells in the brain die.
As the disease progresses, patients tend to develop difficulty walking, as automatic movements like picking up and landing each foot become harder. This can lead to slower, shuffling steps that increase the risk of falls – often leading to hospitalisation.
Now medics say a new device – which uses tiny electrical shocks to contract muscles in the foot and help raise the toes during each step – could help those with Parkinson's to regain their stride.
Researchers at Salisbury District Hospital, in partnership with the University of Southampton, are conducting the first large-scale trial of the technology for Parkinson's patients, called a Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) device. It is already used by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and those who have had a stroke, to improve their walking.
Previous studies have shown its effectiveness at increasing walking speed and reducing falls in Parkinson's patients – even after participants stopped using the device.
Participants also reported important wider benefits to their overall wellbeing, independence and family life.
Professor Paul Taylor, consultant clinical scientist at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust and leader of the trial, hopes the FES device can soon be used for Parkinson's patients in the UK.
'Nearly four in ten people with Parkinson's disease are recurrent fallers, experiencing an average of 21 falls a year,' he said.
'This can lead to a reduction in overall activity, fitness, health and social participation.
'FES is already recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as an assistive device for people with dropped foot due to a stroke or MS, and we believe it could offer similar benefits to those with Parkinson's disease.'
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