Exoskeleton or like to help me walk normally

Mechanic

Mechanic

Skilled
Hi guys,
So i have been in TE for quite some time now, i thought maybe you guys could help me find some information.
but first some relevant info about myself
i am just a normal guy with as normal as possible childhood. I was very healthy and fit while i was at school and played football as any other kids do.

Suddenly 3 years back i was afflicted with Guillain Barre's Syndrome, which paralyzed my entire body within 36 hours of realization.
Spent 10 days in the Critical Care and the next 1 month in bed unable to move anything voluntarily.
after a long stretched out Physiotherapy course and my parent's support i finally began walking the on the 6th month with Walker.

Now 3 years have passed and i have improved quite a lot,
now i can walk with the help of a forearm Crutch, ride bicycle, climb steps, write stuff, use keyboard and go to college by myself.
However even after regaining much of my strength and functionality,
much of my Distal Muscle groups refuse to work due to wastage resulting from the years of unuse.

I have a foot drop on both of my feet,
i can't apply enough pressure to my feet (calf muscles) to stand longer than 1-2 minutes, can't lift my feet clear of obstacles. So i use my crutch for balance.
I can't use my right leg to climb stairs as the quadriceps in right leg don't have enough strength.
Most of the nerve functions have returned in my legs, but by then my muscles have wasted away.

Is there any exoskeleton or like, which may assist my muscles in walking, climbing steps or if possible even running again unassisted so that they become stronger with use and i may walk normally?
 
Unfortunately no exo skeleton has been commercialized and I do understand your view.
You need to keep positive attitude with strong will power to regain your strength.
And physiotherapy exercises are only way out to regain strength.

If you really want to try something new,i may suggest you stem cell therapy.
 
My uncle went through something similar a few months back, He still can't walk, it has been around 4 months.

As far as I know, Exoskeleton's which can be used outside of industrial purposes haven't seen much breakthroughs as of yet. Physiotherapy is your best bet as of now. Keep up your spirit and let the body heal back. The muscles will adapt and gain strength again with constant use.
 
First off: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice!

Not nearly as long as you, but I was unable to use my right leg for a year or so when my foot was crushed in a bike accident in college (>20 years ago). When I finally did start my physio sessions, my right leg was a quarter the girth of my left leg.

I used a crutch for the better part of that year, and had to do regular physio sessions. It took a long time for me to have the courage to use that leg, the biggest hurdle for me personally was the fear of falling if I put pressure on it. As it turned out, I didn't fall very often but the few topples I did take helped my leg more than the crutch. Muscle training and muscle memory are helped by adverse experience (if the body part has the capacity to heal and the nervous system can control it). 90% of my problem was in my head, not the leg.

After a few years of slow healing and corrective surgery to fuse some of the damaged bones, I could walk normally (no crutch or walking stick). I can't dance or sprint, and had to quit my hotel job because I couldn't stand for 10 hours either. I still blister badly in some places and some winters it hurts a bit, but otherwise I can't complain about the overall outcome.

Your case sounds very different and far more severe. I would advise against using artificial aids unless unavoidable for long-term usage. If your blood flow is normal and the muscle tissue intact, natural means are indeed the best way to get back on your feet. Obviously do not adopt anything without consulting your doctor.
 

Short version:
Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again.

He stumbled upon an article about Diamond Dallas Page doing Yoga and decided to give it a try -- he couldn't do traditional, higher impact exercise, so he tried DDP YOGA and sent an email to Dallas telling him his story.

Dallas was so moved by his story, he began emailing and speaking on the phone with Arthur throughout his journey - he encouraged Arthur to keep going and to believe that anything was possible. Even though doctors told him walking would never happen, Arthur was persistent. He fell many times, but kept going.

Arthur was getting stronger rapidly, and he was losing weight at an incredible rate! Because of DDP's specialized workout, he gained tremendous balance and flexibility -- which gave him hope that maybe someday, he'd be able to walk again.

His story is proof, that we cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often do not know our own potential. Niether Arthur, nor Dallas knew what he would go on to accomplish, but this video speaks for itself. In less than a year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of, 15 years earlier.

Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck - you can take control over your life, and change it faster than you might think.

Hopefully this story can inspire you to follow your dreams - whatever they may be.
Anything is Possible!
Click to expand...

cranky said:
[...]Your case sounds very different and far more severe. I would advise against using artificial aids unless unavoidable for long-term usage. If your blood flow is normal and the muscle tissue intact, natural means are indeed the best way to get back on your feet. Obviously do not adopt anything without consulting your doctor.
Click to expand...
can't stress this enough.



_
 
I have faced a similar situation as cranky above in 1999.

I had a nasty bike accident leading to complete damage of the left knee. Technically it got completely crushed under the bike, leaving only 3 fragments, which were used by the doctors to reconstruct the joint back as much as possible.

It took 3 months and several surgeries before I could start moving my left leg.

This was followed by close to 2 years of twice a day physiotherapy, which was extremely painful for me at that time. My muscles had wasted away, and you could see the difference between both the legs. To get onto a crutch took close to 5 months alone. At the end of two years and lot of efforts from the docs and support and encouragement from parents and friends I was able to walk - although slowly. Post this, I underwent 2 more surgeries and a arthroscopy by Dr. Anant Joshi to start to move back to normalcy.

Although the incident is old, and now I have been using a bike & cars since 2005 on a daily basis, these scars never truly heal.

My physical condition today allows me a normal work life, 8-10 hours of travel if needed, go for hiking/ trekking etc BUT I still need to have my regular exercise to keep the aches at bay.

Once you have suffered serious damage to your muscle tissue, I am given to understand they never recover 100%. They need to be maintained by keeping them at a optimum strength level otherwise they will start to regress.

For OP: While I have not seen someone with similar symptoms to yours, you may want to consult senior doctors like Anant Joshi as well as some experienced physio's as well, since they are experts at rehabilitation. Most of them that have supported me in my recovery and regular checkups till date (over 20 senior orthos now) have been extremely patient and attentive and I have seen them to be more interested in oddball cases where they get to really exercise their skills than the daily mundane lifestyle based problems that general patients throw at them. Do try such doctors, as they will definitely contribute to your betterment irrespective of your economic status.

A well set schedule of exercise designed to specifically improve your muscle tone, might just be the catalyst you need to get back to the great outdoors.
 
Thanks guys,
i will start yoga and increase my general (unassisted)activity level ,
however i am afraid that i might hurt myself as my flexibility and strength of muscles around the joints are below par.
but i guess it is as they say , "The trick is not being afraid to fall, not being afraid to be hungrier and not being afraid to pick yourself up everytime you fall". :)
 
The only reason a baby learns to walk is because it does not know the consequences of falling. Adults have this knowledge and this holds them back. Like your quote above, in terms both physical and mental.

Good Luck with your recovery and do keep us updated!
 
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