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The best way to keep up to date with our developments is via the website. We will publish details of new products when they are available. Odstock Medical patients may also be informed at their clinic appointment or by letter. 

Yes of course! Click on the link below to see videos of FES in action.

OML product videos

The manufacturer claims that the electrodes are good for about 30 applications. So using the stimulator every day means you should get about 1 months use.

After using the electrodes we advise to wet the electrodes a little, before putting them back on the 'ON' side of the plastic and sealing them in the original packaging or an airtight container.

We use full length cork insoles so that the insole does not slide around in the shoe, so make sure you have the correct size insole. Some people purchase leather insoles from a shoe shop as the cork insoles sometime fold or crease in the shoe over time. Then use some sort of tape to ensure the heel switch remains attached to the insole. Tapes used range from surgical tape from boots to duck tape from B & Q. So to summarise – make sure the insole fits the shoe and ensure the footswitch is well adhered to the insole. For best results and comfort the footswitch is usually attached underneath the insole with the black dot of the fooswitch facing upwards.

A small number of patients can suffer from irritation beneath the electrodes.  Prevention of skin problems is better than cure, please read "How do I prevent my patient from getting skin irration"?  However, if skin irration does occur we recommend:

Treatment

• Discontinue stimulation at that electrode site until the skin has healed, try moving the electrodes to avoid the skin irritation and consider a different electrode position
• Use Eumovate cream for one week which can be bought "over the counter"
• If problem continues seek medical advice, as  a cream with a stronger steroid content may be required
• Change to symmetrical waveform
• Change to blue pals electrodes, if not already using them
• Consider referral to a Dermatologist if skin irritation persists

If skin irritation continues to be a problem over a long period despite the above treatment it may be worth considering STIMuSTEP, the implanted dropped foot stimulator.

In our clinical experience most patients can use FES regularly without any problems with their skin.  A small number of patients (about 2%) can have some skin irritation problems.  In order to avoid skin problems beneath the electrodes it s good practice to educate your patients in how to look after their skin and electrodes as follows:

Skin

• Keep skin clean
• Do not shave the skin, trim hairs with a beard trimmer
• Avoid long hot baths using bubble bath, try using soap free cleansers
• If moisturising apply at night and wipe off in morning

Electrodes

• Use electrodes as recommended by OML
• Clean electrodes with water after each use
• Replace electrodes, approx. every month

If you feel your patients are particularly at risk of skin irritation try setting them up with symmetrical waveforrm.  This reduces the concentration of stimulation over the active electrode and can help with skin problems.

For further information on skin irritation advice click here to view Skin Irritation Advice presentation from an FES user day.

In order to purchase an ODFS Pace or O2CHS (two channel) stimulator you have to attend the relevant course i.e. Single channel course for the ODFS Pace and two channel course for the two channel.  Please note that in order to attend the two channel course you have to have completed the Single channel course beforehand.

You can buy the microstim or O4 CHS (4-channel stimulator) or the C-MIT without attending any courses.

For FES to be effective both the nerve and the muscle supplied by the nerve must be undamaged. For this reason FES can be used in conditions such as:

· Stroke
· Multiple sclerosis (MS)
· Spinal cord injury, T12 and above (SCI)
· Parkinson's disease
· Cerebral palsy (CP)
· Head injury (HI)
· Familial or hereditary spastic paraparesis (FSP)

In these conditions paralysis is due to an upper motor neurone lesion. FES can also be used in orthopaedic conditions where muscle weakness is due to disuse or inhibition. If you have other problems as well as a dropped foot we have another device called the Odstock 2 Channel Stimulator (02CHS), which can stimulate a second muscle to assist walking.

 
NOTE : FES is not suitable for lower motor neurone conditions such as: Peripheral nerve lesions, Polio,  Motor neurone disease  or Guillain-Barre Syndrome.