Too often in representing injured workers in Pennsylvania, we see lives deeply impacted by severe spinal cord injuries causing paraplegia. For this reason, we are extremely excited by the research being done in this area.
A new study was published in the November 2012 issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, which assessed the safety and performance of the ReWalk device. The ReWalk mechanism is a motorized exoskeleton, which allows paraplegics to regain their upright mobility. Though the device looks and seems like something from a science fiction movie, this study suggests it is ready for the here and now.
Not only can the ReWalk device give paraplegics a feeling of being upright, it can also lead to improvements in pain, bowel and bladder function, and spasticity. Additionally, we are proud to report that this study was based in Pennsylvania. Obviously, we look forward to increased use of devices like the ReWalk, which can lend some semblance of normalcy to an injured worker’s traumatically altered life.