Multiple Sclerosis and the Bioness L300

I am thrilled to know that I am using my L300 more to help with the foot drop caused by multiple sclerosis. It is great to know that I have this "crutch" when I am tired or not feeling up to par. This is so important as you never know how you are going to feel one day to the next with multiple sclerosis.

However, I must share what a friend shared with me last night. She has what is believed to be severe burns on her leg from the sensors of her L300. She got the Bioness almost 7 months ago, and like most with MS, she depends on her L300 leg cuff heavily. The burns just started in the last several weeks.

Of course, minimizing and eliminating the burns is important but what is a huge concern to my friend is Bioness has not presented a solution to this problem and, of course, my friend can not wear the device (which greatly assists her walking challenges with multiple sclerosis) until her skin heals.

Multiple Sclerosis and the Bioness L300

I have had MS for many years and have walking/balance problems. My friend Mo got the Bioness L300 several months ago and she believes it has made a big difference in her multiple sclerosis related gait problems. I bit the bullet and got one, too. Granted many insurance companies do not cover this device and it costs $5900. However, it works by stimulating the muscle on the front of your leg below your knee. This stimulation, in turn, forces your toes/forefoot to automatically pop up. This prevents the dropped foot so prevalent in many with multiple sclerosis.

Here are my initial pluses and minuses for the L300 as it relates to me and my experiences with multiple sclerosis:

Pros
- it does help me walk better
- I do not get as fatigued as I don't have to concentrate so hard on walking
- Bioness will work very hard to get this device for you

Cons
- it has a pretty big leg cuff and I think very few of my pants will fit over the L300
- it takes a little time to get used to the stimulation component
- it takes a little practice to get the electrodes in the right place so it is working correctly to pop you foot up
- not a lot of therapists are acclimated with the L300
- it is quite a little drama to get approved by insurance, even if to pay for it partially

Most importantly, the L300 gives us all hope that there is some help for those of us with multiple sclerosis. That is the best pro of all!!

Better Walking Despite Your Multiple Sclerosis

My dear friend Mo found this wonderful tool to help her walk better. She has a bit of a dropped foot and she was wearing an orthotic to help her keep her foot up when she was walking (so she wouldn't trip over her foot). The bad thing about such a brace is that it discourages muscle growth and really makes your leg worse. This further decreases your mobility and worsens this sympton of multiple sclerosis.

In looking for other devices she found the Walk Aid and the Bioness L300. The beauty of the Bioness L300 seemed to be that you could control it better (ensuring that it is placed right for optimum function) and it actually helped strengthen your leg to help you get some of your gait ease back. This is amazing news for people with multiple sclerosis who often have walking/gait challenges.

The Bioness L300 is composed of a cuff that fits securely below your knee as well as a small reciever unit that connects to your shoe but transmits to the knee cuff. The unit sends signals to the cuff to communicate foot action and lift. The cuff communicates back with each stop to tell the reciever unit how much to stimulate your foot to lift up based on the immediate gait information.

The L300 is really an amazing tool particularly for those who exhaust so much energy focusing on their walking so that it is smooth and they don't fall. It is particularly beneficial for stroke victims and those with multiple sclerosis do to the type of damage existing in the body.

The bad news is that the L300 is in the process of being approved (for payment through Medicare) and since this is not final yet, it is fairly cumbersome to get it approved through your insurance. However, this device is so powerful for someone with gait challenges from multiple sclerosis that it warrants a little hard work!