When Marcela Turnage, 32, got out of her wheelchair and took her first steps with the aid of a robotic exoskeleton, she was so excited that she started screaming.
“It was so amazing. I was overwhelmed with joy,” says the 32-year-old mom from Baltimore. Following a 2002 car accident that killed her boyfriend, Turnage, then 19, was paralyzed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury. Doctors told her she would never walk again.
Today, she is one of a growing number of patients who are regaining mobility withthe FDA-approved ReWalk exoskeleton. The bionic suit helps people with spinal cord injuries walk by using accelerometers (akin to those in iPhones) to detect subtle changes in their balance.
The suit, worn outside of clothing, moves the users’ legs in a natural gait, while the person uses crutches for stability, explains Peter Gorman, MD, associate professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the division of rehabilitation at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute (UMROI).
“I find this technology extremely exciting—and patients really love getting out of their wheelchairs and walking with this system,” says Dr. Gorman, who is planning a small study of the benefits of the ReWalk device, which costs about $80,000. The bionic suit is currently available at about two dozen rehab facilities in the United States, according to its manufacturer.
“An exhilarating sense of freedom”
Turnage says that using the exoskeleton twice a week in her rehab sessions at UMROI has brought her “happiness, hope, and an exhilarating sense of freedom.”
During her 11 years in a wheelchair, Turnage attended college, found a new love, got married, and had a daughter, now age 7. She also works full time and is able to drive, using a car with special hand controls.
When Turange started using the ReWalk device in September 2013, “I felt like a baby again, learning to take my first steps," she says. "My first reaction was to be a little bit afraid, not knowing what to expect.”
Using the robotic device was particularly challenging for Turnage because she wears a prosthesis on her left leg, which was amputated above the knee after the accident.
“I have always lived with a feeling of shame about not having my leg,” Turnage says. “But when I stood up and walked for the first time, the incredible joy erased that shame,”
The mom adds, “Learning to use ReWalk is a process and every time I wear it, I learn something new. I can feel myself getting stronger.”
The Exoskeleton’s Surprising Health Benefits
While helping paralyzed people walk again is the most obvious benefit, says Dr. Gorman, “the ReWalk exoskeleton also appears to improve their health by improving digestion and bowel function, which can be adversely affected by years of sitting in a wheelchair.”
The manufacturer reports that the bionic suit, designed for spinal cord injury patients who retain use of their arms, may also help reduce several other disorders linked to long-term wheelchair use, including bone thinning, pressure sores, and problems with breathing, blood circulation, and urination.
There are currently two models: the ReWalk Rehab 2.0, which is FDA-approved for use in clinical settings, such as rehab centers, and a personal version for home use, which is currently available in Europe and is awaiting FDA clearance for use in the US.
Helping Paralyzed People Stand Tall—and Walk Freely
Turnage reports that the exoskeleton has had another amazing effect. “I have pretty strong pain from sitting in a wheelchair for so many years, but using the robot has minimalized my pain level. I can feel all the pain in my body going away.”
Along with combatting her chronic pain, the device has literally helped the mom stand tall. “It’s so wonderful to be able to see people eye-to-eye with no help from anyone. The more I’ve trained in walking with the robot, the more I feel independent.”
In addition, she says, “Using this device is all about hope, that people with spinal cord injuries shouldn’t give up. Today, it’s the ReWalk and tomorrow, something even better will come along—maybe even the cure.”
