Published on September 13th, 2022 📆 | 3507 Views ⚑
0Valley veteran can walk again by using exoskeleton technology
https://www.ispeech.org/text.to.speech
Richard Neider lost the use of his legs 10 years ago during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now he'll be able to walk alongside his wife thanks to new technology.
PHOENIX â Richard Neider walks around the Touchstone Rehabilitation with a big smile on his face. He has spent the past two months learning how to walk again with the use of the ReWalk Exoskeleton.
âDuring Operation Iraqi Freedom I sustained a spinal cord injury that took my walking away,â Neider said.
Life in a wheelchair was a big adjustment for Neider. Over the past 10 years, the Army veteran has learned to adapt â thinking heâd never walk again⌠until now.
âAfter 10 years of not walking. Itâs one of the most amazing feelings,â Neider said.
The ReWalk Exoskeleton is battery-operated technology and is strapped to Neider's lower back. His legs are attached to braces at the ankles and knees. He wears a watch to initiate his actions and a device sits on his hip monitoring his movements.
âEach time they shift side to side the exoskeleton knows to advance the other limb,â said Dan Bonarati, Neiderâs physical therapist.
The device was developed in Israel and is now approved by the FDA for use in the United States. Itâs less cumbersome and, unlike other versions, clients can take this device home.
âThe machine is doing all the work of moving me around. I just basically make it go where itâs supposed to go,â said Neider.
Dan Bonarati says the new technology is a game changer.
âThe people that weâve trained so far with the exoskeleton can walk an hour or more at a time. I believe some have even done walking races with them,â said Bonarati.
Neider is looking forward to taking walks around the neighborhood with his wife.
âItâs more than freedom. Itâs complete independence to be on my feet. Be eye-to-eye with everybody. I can be a stand-up guy again. Not just a role model,â said Neider.
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