Michael Weed suffered a sudden fall that left him unable to move his arms or legs, a collapse so severe that doctors warned he might never walk again. Five weeks later, he walked out of a physical therapy facility on his own two feet.
The fall sent Weed into emergency surgery at Orlando Health for what was described as a severe spinal cord injury, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Doctors delivered the grim prognosis that is common after injuries of that severity, telling him he might never regain the ability to walk. Weed described the outcome that followed as a miracle, crediting his faith and the people who helped him through it, per the same report.
By the time he left intensive physical therapy five weeks later, he was walking out the door unassisted, the station reported. Weed’s recovery arrives at a moment when hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the country are leaning more heavily on advanced technology to help patients with spinal cord injuries regain mobility that was once considered permanently lost.
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One of the most visible tools in that effort is the exoskeleton, a wearable, battery-powered device that fits like a brace around the legs, hips and waist to help patients stand and walk, according to UF Health Rehabilitation Hospital. The hospital notes that the devices provide highly controlled, repetitive and intense training while easing the physical burden on both therapists and patients. Exoskeleton systems also log real-time data on a patient’s gait, UF Health explains, giving clinicians a way to refine treatment and flag safety risks as recovery progresses…