Solving mobility challenges with new medical technology


Stroke is the primary cause of long-term disability in the United States, affecting approximately 795,000 people per year, predominantly those over 65. At St. Mary Rehabilitation Hospital in

Langhorne, Pennsylvania, as long as they are stable enough, patients can begin the process of movement retraining within days of suffering a stroke — in an exoskeleton. Bulky, heavy and

seemingly straight out of a blockbuster movie, the robotic harness isn't your average therapeutic device. Outfitted with a battery pack and motors in the joints, patients often invoke

the film _Robocop_ as they get used to the feeling of being enclosed by a therapeutic robot. Yet exoskeletons are just one breed of cutting-edge technologies that are having real impacts on

how older adults with mobility issues are able to get around — making it possible for more people to live fuller, more independent lives, both inside and outside the home. St. Mary physical

therapist Chrissy Colistro has been using the EksoGT exoskeleton as part of her practice since September 2018. Many of her patients are recovering from strokes, but she and her colleagues

have also used the device with those grappling with other neurodegenerative conditions, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Depending on the severity of a

patient's impairment, the exoskeleton may initially do all or most of the work for the user. By monitoring sensors in the exoskeleton, therapists can adjust how much the metal harness

compensates for each movement with the goal of retraining the muscles and nervous system. Some initial fear on the part of patients is common. "We get them into the device, and show

them – look, you just took 75 steps, when they'd struggled to do 10 feet with the therapist, holding on to the wall, with a lot of physical help,” Colistro says. “There are challenges,

but after they get to feel the proper movements after being in the machine, those movements carry over after they come out. That's the goal.” Ekso devices are in use in over 270

rehabilitation centers worldwide, and the company says that over 115 million steps have been taken in their devices. But they're just one of many companies in the exoskeleton market;

devices by four other manufacturers have earned approval by the Food and Drug Administration for use in therapy. Smaller wearables are also popping up; at Harvard, scientists are developing

more pliable versions intended to be worn beneath clothing. Mind-controlled versions may even be common in the future.