Abstract
Introduction: Walking disorders belong to the most prominent symptoms accompanying RS. These difficulties may be present from the earliest stages of the disease, but mostly become stronger with the duration of the disease.
There are various causes of walking disorders and in cases of paresis of dorsal flexor of ankle may be therapeutically influenced by functional eletrostimulation (FES). Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the use of FES system Walkaide in a group of patients with RS and to evaluate in which patients this kind of intervention is suitable.
Methods: The study encompassed 10 patients of the RS Center of the Neurological Clinic, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University and General Medicine Faculty in Prague. The patients suffered from damaged swing phase of the step and decreased muscular strength of ankle flexor muscles.
The probands were examined at the beginning, after using FEX for one month and after 3E months of applied FES. The walking was examined by the functional clinical test Timed 25 foot walk test, two minutes walking test and Timed up and go test and the step test.
Quantitative space-time parameters of walking were examined by the GAITRite instrument and subjective feeling of walking was evaluated by the Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 questionnaire. Results: Although all probands reported subjective improvement of walking, the extent of improvement of objective parameters varied significantly.
All subjects felt certain extent of improvement especially while moving in the field, in coping with obstacles or barriers and steps, in a longer period of walking and improvement of the step stereotype. Conclusion: in some patients with RS FES may become a therapeutic possibility making it possible to increase velocity and giving more quality to walking stereotype.
In view of the high cost of the FES device, individual assessment is always suitable as well as a short-term examination of a neurostimulator.