In a rural village near Guadalajara, Mexico, a stroke therapy shoe is transforming the lives of patients recovering from stroke. One such patient, Maria Magdalena Valencia Juares, known as Elena, had been struggling with muscle weakness and the risk of falling following a stroke in 2021. The stroke left her isolated in her home, exacerbating her mental health deterioration brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elena’s family, located thousands of miles away in Los Angeles and Alaska, noticed the toll her stroke was taking on her well-being and began searching for solutions. They stumbled upon the iStride device, a portable shoe attachment invented and patented by Kyle Reed, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at USF and licensed by Moterum Technologies Inc. The device is designed to assist stroke patients in improving their walking ability by stabilizing their leg and promoting a corrective motion during each step.
After months of coordination, Elena’s family brought her to North Carolina to receive therapy using the iStride device. Through dedicated practice, Elena regained her mobility, from shifting positions to eventually walking without the need for a cane. The device challenges wearers by destabilizing their unimpaired leg, resulting in increased use of the affected side and ultimately improving their gait.
Elena’s success story is not an isolated incident. Reed recently conducted a study published in the academic journal Frontiers in Neurology, which examined the long-term impact of the iStride device on gait speed in stroke survivors. The study included 18 individuals who had suffered a stroke within the last five years. Each patient underwent three 30-minute therapy sessions per week for four weeks and had their gait assessed multiple times over the following year.
The results were remarkable, with gait speed increasing an average of 50% within just one month of starting therapy. Even more impressively, these improvements mostly remained unchanged one year after the conclusion of the therapy sessions. On average, patients were now walking 0.21 meters per second faster than before the study began. According to the National Institutes of Health, the walking speed of an average healthy adult ranges between 0.9 and 1.3 meters per second.
Reed stated that this is one of the most significant improvements ever recorded in an academic journal focused on enhancing gait speed in stroke survivors. He had published related studies before, including one on using the iStride device at home, but this paper proved more challenging to place due to the reviewers’ initial disbelief in the extent of the improvements. However, once they observed videos showcasing the stark differences in subjects’ walking abilities before and after therapy, their skepticism dissipated.
Moterum Technologies, which licenses the iStride device, aims to shift the paradigm of stroke recovery and instill hope in patients. Their personalized approach meets each individual at their current stage of recovery, fostering a relationship that expands hope and leads to transformative outcomes.
News of the iStride device’s efficacy in stroke therapy is spreading, offering renewed hope to stroke survivors worldwide. As individuals like Elena experience newfound mobility and joy, this innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize stroke recovery, allowing patients to reclaim their lives and regain independence.
With its portable design and ability to significantly improve gait speed, the iStride therapy shoe offers stroke patients a path towards empowerment and a brighter future. As researchers continue to explore new possibilities and refine the technology, it is hoped that more individuals like Elena will benefit from this groundbreaking innovation.
