Tech Innovations That Are Helping Patients With Paralysis

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(Newswire.net — December 17, 2020) — Wearable robots are changing how those with paralysis learn to rewalk. Innovations in the field of wearable robotics are giving new possibilities to patients with spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders, and strokes. 1 out of 50 people in the United States have some form of paralysis, and the number of candidates for exoskeletons is growing year over year. Wearable technologies have been around for about 20 years, but increasing usage approvals for exoskeletons in the medical industry over the last decade have encouraged more investment in the technology.

Ekso Bionics is the global leader in robotic exoskeleton technology and the development of an exoskeleton suit for disabled patients. Physical disabilities result in reduced strength, endurance, and mobility. Exoskeletons are designed to improve a wearer’s strength, endurance, and mobility, particularly in rehabilitation settings. Robotic suits are designed to help paraplegics move without a wheelchair, those with missing limbs regain strength, help paralyzed patients stand upright, and help stroke patients learn to rewalk. Ekso Bionics is leading the way in disruptive clinical robotics with a variety of robot products that give patients the use of their limbs following an injury.

Hope for Stroke Patients

Over 70 percent of stroke patients permanently lose the ability to walk. Recent developments in robotics have shown promise in helping stroke patients rewalk. A robot suit, when worn during rehabilitation, is designed to train the brain and muscles to walk again. The ultimate goal in stroke rehabilitation is to teach patients how to rewalk without the use of a device for long periods of time.

Suffering a stroke is a scary experience, especially if it’s the result of circumstances beyond your control. Medical professionals sometimes fail to deliver proper patient care according to medical standards, causing serious injury or wrongful death as a result. Victims of medical negligence may have cause to file a medical malpractice claim, however, without the legal advice of a medical malpractice attorney, these types of cases can be difficult to prove.

Going through a personal injury, medical malpractice, or wrongful death case isn’t easy, which is why the best approach is to seek a law firm that will win you the fair compensation for medical expenses you deserve. Davis Kelin is one of the best Albuquerque, New Mexico medical malpractice attorneys with years of experience winning medical malpractice lawsuits. During a free initial consultation, the medical malpractice lawyer will outline the best strategy to win you punitive damages and non-economic damages for personal injury caused by medical error. You have rights as the victim of medical malpractice, and the best way to get what you deserve is to seek an experienced attorney to champion for you.

Mind-Controlled Wearables for Those With Disabilities

Elon Musk started Neuralink in 2016 with the mission of treating brain disorders, helping accident injury victims, and creating brain-machine interfaces, or an internal brain-body-mind connection. Companies like these are designing mind-controlled wearables that could lead to medical breakthroughs. Paralyzed patients could have a means of communicating with family members, while stroke, amputee, and neurodegenerative disease patients could greatly benefit from mind-controlled wearables during physical therapy and rehabilitation treatment. 

Virtual reality can help overcome traumatic injury

Virtual reality is making its way into the healthcare industry by using computer technology to put the viewer into a realistic environment. VR is proving useful for medical teaching and treating anxiety and PTSD by carefully simulating environmental cues. It’s also a useful training tool that teaches healthcare workers the unique challenges patients face. VR can put healthcare workers in simulations of elderly patients’ daily experiences to help them empathize and understand the challenges and concerns of patients. 

Medicine has come a long way over the decades, and with an influx of new technologies paving the way for medical innovations, progress shows no signs of stopping. Wearable robots are giving hope to paralyzed patients learning to rewalk, and as the technology continues to advance, so will its ability to change patients’ quality of life.