Walkaide: helping you to get a leg up on foot drop

Dropfoot (also known as drop foot, foot drop and footdrop) is a condition characterised by weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting the front part of the foot. It may be caused by damage to the central nervous system such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.

It causes a person to drag the toe of the shoe on the ground or slap the foot on the floor or engage in a high-stepping walk called steppage gait. A significant number of individuals – men and women, young and old – experience difficulty with the simplest day-to-day activities because of mobility dysfunctions such as peroneal nerve palsy that lead to foot drop.

WalkAide is a class B, HSA registered medical device, designed to improve walking ability in people experiencing foot drop caused by upper motor neuron injuries or conditions.

Invented by a team of researchers at the University of Alberta, WalkAide uses functional electrical stimulation (FES) to restore typical nerve-to-muscle signals in the leg and foot, effectively lifting the foot at the appropriate time. The resulting movement is a smoother, more natural and safer stepping motion. It may allow faster walking for longer distances with less fatigue. In fact, many people who try WalkAide experience immediate and substantial improvement in their walking ability, which increases their mobility, functionality, and overall independence.

Othogait Scoliosis & Limbs Centre (Singapore) provides consultation and fitting services for Walkaide system for both adult and paediatric foot drop patients. To book an appointment, Call: +65 62501566