Arm Device for Stroke, The Old-Fashioned Way

According to the FDA, for about $10,000 you'll be able to get one of these devices, just in case you lose the use of your arm from CVA.

Now - from my point-of-view - mind you, I always spot poor care when I see some one with the obvious after effect of stroke.

While Myomo is packing in profit, along with the Medicare approved supplier, insurer, and physiatrist or what ever specialty doctor prescribes the device, I wonder why no one taught this.

An often used, back-in-the-day as they say nowadays, a very well studied approach to get an arm working again was an ordinary sling. You know, the kind they give you at the ER when you get a sprained shoulder or some similar injury.

Using a simple sling to restrain the arm not subjected to the stroke injury, for as little as twenty minutes twice a day helps your effected arm to become functional again.

This very well studied premise was proven in many studies and re-reported in 2000.

The best fact is that it works, helps the person develop new neural pathways, and they regain the use of their arm.

And for a lot less than ten grand.

FDA Approves Robotic Arm Device for Stroke Survivors
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Federal regulators have granted clearance to market a robotic arm brace designed to help stroke survivors regain use of paralyzed limbs and relearn how to move affected muscles, the device's maker said Tuesday.

Myomo Inc. said it would begin marketing the e100 NeuroRobotic System to rehabilitation clinics and medical specialists now that it has Food and Drug Administration clearance.

The lightweight brace slides onto an arm. Sensors placed on the front and back parts of the upper arm detect slight muscle contractions. That triggers a motor — contained in a backpack that the user also wears — that allows the user to control the arm's movement.

Unlike other devices to help stroke survivors regain mobility, no electrical stimulation or invasive procedures are required, Myomo says. Rather, the device helps individuals use their own biological signals to recover muscle control.

The destruction of brain cells from a stroke causes loss of function. The researchers say with repetitive therapy, other neurons can take over some of the lost function.

Boston-based Myomo — whose name is an acronym for "My Own Motion" — developed the arm based on research by two Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates who won a $50,000 MIT business plan competition in 2004. Myomo is the privately held company that the MIT grads, John McBean and Kailas Narendran, are using to market the device.

The device is expected to cost $5,000 to $10,000, with specific pricing information forthcoming, said Maureen Liberty, a Myomo spokeswoman. The company isn't making sales projections.

The device is intended for use in clincal settings, and hasn't yet been shown to be safe or effective for home use, the company said. Clinical studies haven't demonstrated any known side effects or risks for stroke patients in therapy.