Wearable Lower Extremity Exoskeleton to Promote Walking in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

Loss of the ability to walk is one of the significant problems in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). This limitation prevents the person from having an active and meaningful life at home and in the community. Also, more energy is needed to walk, which can cause fatigue and further leads to a non-active life style and poor quality of life. Unfortunately, walking training is often not available for this population because of the severity and progress of the disease; therefore, a new strategy is needed to help people with MS to walk again. A new technology, the wearable robotic exoskeleton, has been developed to help persons with spinal cord injuries stand up and walk. The robotic legs are powered by batteries and controlled by motors. This study will investigate the use of a wearable robotic exoskeleton to help persons with MS to walk. Participants will receive trainings (5 days per week for 3 weeks) to walk with the robotic exoskeleton (EKSO, EKSO Bionics, Richmond, CA). During the training, a physical therapist will teach the participant how to maintain balance, sit to stand, stand to sit, and walk with the wearable robotic exoskeleton. The hypothesis is that persons with MS will be able to use a robotic exoskeleton to walk better and with less energy costs.