Today’s functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices for the management of foot drop include single-channel, surface-electrode systems such as the Innovative Neurotronics WalkAide, the Odstock Dropped Foot Stimulator (ODFS), and the Bioness NESS L300. There is quite a bit of available research on the use of FES systems, the majority of which is focused on its use in the management of patients following cerebral vascular accident (CVA) and its effect on gait.1 Clinical experience, however, suggests that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)-related foot drop are more likely to research solutions and pursue this technology. While CVA-based literature provides some insights into the possible benefits of FES, there are important differences between patients attempting to recover from a non-progressive CVA and patients confronting the progressive declines associated with MS. Fortunately, there are several studies that provide insights on the effects of FES in the MS population, particularly on those patients who have been diagnosed with the more aggressive secondary progressive form of the disease. The observations made in those clinical trials can help practitioners to have more productive conversations with current and prospective FES patients who have MS.
