14 • Specialist Clinics & Private Healthcare


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Functional Electrical Stimulation can help patients walk with confidence


Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a rehabilitation treatment aimed at improving movement for a neurological condition/injury that affects the brain or spinal cord


FES involves applying small electrical pulses to the nerve, activating the muscle that’s become weakened due to a neurological condition. Its most common use is to


improve walking, especially for dropped foot, but it can also aid upper limb (hand, arm, shoulder) movement and allow other muscle groups to improve function in daily life. It can be used for both adults and children. FES can benefit patients with


multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and those affected by a stroke. The device is the size of a wallet,


which can be worn in your pocket, on a belt or in a sleeve on your leg.


HOW DOES FES HELP? Depending on the application, FES can have the following clinically proven benefits: • Increases safety due to reduced tripping and increased stability in stance


• Increases walking speed and range • Reduces effort of walking • More likely to be able to do daily tasks with hand, arm and shoulder


• Less reliant on a carer/partner • Reduces pain • Less fatigue • Improves quality of life • Greater confidence and independence


SAFER WALKING The FES technique has been developed and progressed by Odstock Medical Ltd (OML), which


was established in 2005 by the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust to build on FES expertise created by Salisbury District Hospital. OML is now a leading provider of FES devices and clinical treatment. Head of research at the National


Clinical FES Centre at Salisbury District Hospital and co-founder of OML, Dr Paul Taylor explains that skin electrodes stimulate weakened muscles due to neurological conditions while a pressure switch in the shoe regulates the system’s activation timing, which in turn improves walking. “FES stimulates muscles, liſting


the foot at the right time and making walking easier and safer,” says Taylor. “People are less likely to trip and fall, there’s less energy expenditure and they can walk faster and further, too.” Some 80% of users say it increases


their confidence in walking while OML’s studies show a 72% reduction in falls for people with MS. “This can have a real impact on quality of life,” says Taylor.


SUPPORTED BY MEDICAL GUIDELINES FES is supported by extensive clinical research and guidelines including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for NHS use. Meanwhile, the STEPS II trial is currently recruiting 234 participants to a seven-centre UK study to discover how FES can help with Parkinson’s.


FUNDING NHS funding for FES varies across the UK. It depends on the policies of the local NHS clinical funding body that provides funding for health care in your area. Application for individual funding may be required. These are either completed by OML clinicians or your local GP. If local NHS funding isn’t


available in your area or you’d like to fund treatment yourself, you have the choice to self-refer. Medical advice should be sought.


WHAT FES USERS SAY... “FES enables me to walk. Without it, I suffer from textbook dropped foot. It improves my balance immensely and I can walk safely upstairs and across uneven ground.”


“It changed my life. One minute I was struggling around with a walking stick and the next I could walk without it. It gave me confidence and I’m no longer dependent on other people — I can just go.”


For more info


Visit: odstockmedical.com Email: enquiries@ odstockmedical.com or call: 01722 439 540


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