Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease)
October 01, 2007 - Raleigh, N.C. - Nine years ago, Mike Tucker's diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, an incurable and debilitating illness that affects the central nervous system failed to elicit the typical reaction - self-pity. Instead, he responded by rallying his entrepreneurial spirit in search of solutions for many of the life altering symptoms Parkinson's patients live with daily. His invention, the NextStep® [www.ICanStep.com] is now available through medical practices, physical therapists, and on the Internet at www.ICanStep.com. It has produced miraculous results in hundreds of patients.
With over 500,000 Parkinson's sufferers in the United States, most notably Michael J. Fox and Mohammed Ali, Tucker's invention will significantly improve the quality of life for Parkinson's patients whose symptoms include "freezing". Freezing is when the natural flow of movement is hampered. It refers to sudden, temporary difficulty initiating or continuing a movement, such as a step. The patient can actually feel as if they are "frozen" to the floor.
"It can be a significant problem," says Tucker. "People don't feel comfortable going out in public, because you never know when a freeze will happen. I invented the NextStep® for my own use to free myself of that fear. Now, after using it for 18 months, I feel safe leaving my house. And I want every other Parkinson's shut-in to feel the same sense of independence I do."
Medication alleviates the symptom in many cases, but not all. Before the NextStep® Parkinson's patients have, over the years, learned "tricks" to help interrupt the freeze. Unfortunately, these "tricks" are just that - tricks. What Mike Tucker has invented is a medically sound walking aid that consistently breaks a Parkinson's freeze with the use of the visual cue wand - an obstruction that allows the sufferer to take their next step.
The NextStep® walking aid slides over the end of a walking cane and is used like a normal cane. When freezing occurs, the user simply toggles a key and the visual cue wand is set to appear when the cane makes contact with the floor. The wand provides an obstacle to step over, thus beginning the walking process.
The Parkinson's community, which includes patients, their caregivers and doctors (typically neurologists) have embraced the device Dr. Joel Trugman, a renowned neurologist who has researched Parkinson's for decades, worked with Tucker during the development and testing stages of the NextStep®.
"Freezing" is an unusual and poorly understood neurological phenomenon," said Trugman. "It typically occurs when the patient's medication is not performing or has worn off. The condition can occur at any time of the day. Most sufferers have trouble turning, in crowded areas, and in small, narrow places."
Dr. Trugman explained that it has been known for many years that patients respond and can start walking if they can step over an object placed in front of them. He states that the NextStep® is a practical solution that will be a significant advance for patients with Parkinson's and other causes of freezing of gait. "It's nothing short of miraculous."
* Dr. Joel Trugman, Neurologist/Researcher
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