| Could This Specialized Therapy Improve Your Walking Ability?
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| Becky Upham |
| For many people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), walking can become one of the most challenging daily tasks. As many as 3 in 4 people with MS have gait issues caused by factors like loss of muscle control, fatigue, and balance problems. Mobility problems not only limit independence and interfere with daily life, they also make falls more likely, and those can lead to fractures and even hospitalization.
Therapy with a device called the portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) can address some of those deficits and significantly improve gait in people with MS. This small device sits on your tongue and delivers gentle electrical pulses designed to “wake up” the brain and help it relearn how to control movement.
Small studies and “real-world” patients have shown that major improvements are possible for some people who complete the therapy — they may even, for example, progress from requiring a wheelchair to getting around with a walker or cane instead.
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