This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Ness L300 Drop Foot Device

Michelle, 42, was devastated when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago. “I had an MRI and the doctor told me I have lesions on my brain.” Michelle says. Walking has become increasingly difficult for her because she has developed foot drop, which is when the muscles of the foot are unable to contract and pull the foot upward in stride. The contraction and extension of the foot is essential to walking, but when the nerves in the brain are damaged, movement is severely compromised.

The Ness L300 device, a small orthotic worn over the knee, performs the function of the brain and sends electrical impulses directly to the foot to lift it up and complete a step. This revolutionary device is making great strides in the realm of brain and spinal cord injury and is ideal for those who have suffered stroke, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury.

Dr. David Patterson, Medical Director for the California Brain Injury Association, explains that the neuromuscular electrical stimulation device senses when a person is ready to take a step and needs the foot to be lifted. It then stimulates the proper muscles and allows the wearer to walk normally.

Jonna, 35, has multiple sclerosis and has used the Ness L300 for several years. “It’s phenomenal,” she glows. “It’s given me a piece of my life back.” She’s even hiked to the top of Diamondback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona! Michelle tried the Ness L300 and beams, “It’s incredible!”

Vertigo Chair

Vertigo is the sensation that your surroundings are spinning uncontrollably and is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The condition is usually attributed to a problem with the inner ear and occurs most often in people over 60. Fifty percent of adults will experience vertigo in their lifetime, 70 percent of whom are women.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common type of vertigo. When tiny crystals in the inner ear dislodge and migrate to other parts of the ear, they irritate tissues, and that irritation is the source of the vertigo.

Zee, 51, was diagnosed with vertigo in June 2008. “I woke up in the middle of the night spinning like I was on a carnival ride and I could not get off,” she recalls, “I felt like my brain was exploding.”

Dr. Michael O’Leary and Dr. Ian Purcell explain that an experimental contraption called the Epley Chair helps vertigo sufferers like Zee. It allows doctors to determine where the crystals are in the ear and then repositions them into an area where they don’t cause irritation. Zee tried the chair three days ago and is happy to report that she feels much better!