Dr.Young...FES good TEMP solution or BAD?...ignore FES is BS!

[Red_1 Canada]

I was wondering if you read Max's post about the FES Center in Cleveland?
If so what do you think?

Is FES implant something that can be taken out?
Is it some thing that will help keep the body ready for a natural type cure?

I know the walking is limited but it would definitely be a welcomed activity...ah to stand!

Also do you think a person should wait a certain amount of time before considering having this done?

Any feedback would be great!

Thanks again Doc!


Go Montreal!

(today is Grey Cup...Canadian Super Bowl)Video to go with Max's post...clink on the link to the right! (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/19/uttm/main529871.shtml)

[This message was edited by Red_1_Canada on Nov 24, 2002 at 05:37 PM.]

[Wise Young]

Red,

FES is a well-developed technology that has now been used for over two decades. The technology is widely available and even paid for by insurance in many cases. For example, FES bikes have now been used since the 1980's. Likewise, devices such as the Parastep for stimulating walking have been used and approved by the FDA. Over 100 companies now make a variety of FES stimulation devices for activating muscles.

We have always known that surface stimulation of muscles are limited in the number, depth, and the control of muscles. Implanted electrodes can stimulate and control deeper muscles. With the advent of better electronics and computer-control of stimulators, it is now possible to have sophisticated and complicated stimulation of muscles that can be interfaced to other parts of the body that the brain controls. Hence, the Freehand system and walking with implanted electrodes have now been tried in probably well over 100 patients with chronic spinal cord injury.

Experience with implanted electrodes suggest that careful patient selection is key to the success of the systems. While there have been several cases of infections associated with implanted systems, the number of complications have been relatively few. I recently heard a presentation from Randy Betz at the Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia where they implanted the Freehand system in 10 children shortly after injury and found that earlier transplantation resulted in better utilization of the technology and better acceptance of the devices.

The future of FES will include neural stimulation. In addition to stimulating the muscles, FES will include FNS (functional neural stimulation) or even stimulating of the spinal cord, to initiate or entrain reflexive activity. Combined with the locomotor training or even biofeedback training, this will be a part of routine rehabilitative therapies. Likewise, I think that FES bikes can and should be an important part of rehabilitation of people because there is much evidence that they can maintain muscle and bone, as well as improve the health of the people who undergo such exercises.

Wise.

[Curt Leatherbee]

It is though a good way to stay in shape until the day the cure is here.

"Life is about how you
respond to not only the
challenges you're dealt but
the challenges you seek...If
you have no goals, no
mountains to climb, your
soul dies".~Liz Fordred

[Chris Chappell]

Yes, Curtis, agreed.

Also, Red, FES can be very useful towards independence especially for quads.

My guess is that some form of e-stim or FES will be part of our recovery.

Onward and Upward!

[Red_1 Canada]

My comments were in reference to Max's post about FES implantation.
I latter went to the CBS website and viewed the video of the Para "walking" down the isle.
The Cleveland clinic and their implants for Para's to me seem like BS. There is no bending of the leg or even movement of the foot. It looks like the muscles simply stay locked so that you basically do a swing through method of gait.

All in all I think that the FES implants that Cleveland is doing for Para's is lame!