Over the past few months, Physical Therapist Lauren has found tremendous success with Task Specific Electrical Stimulation (TASES). TASES is a tool used to activate specific muscles when preforming a task. The electrical stimulation device, dubbed “the tickle machine” by staff, helps our pediatric therapy clients with functional tasks such as, short to tall kneeling, standing with flat feet, cruising along a surface and walking.
Task
Specific Electrical Stimulation (TASES) device placed on walking children.
Lauren’s success comes from a four-year-old who came to Innovative needing Intensive Physical Therapy. At the start of therapy, Cade*, walked on his tippy toes with his toes pointing inward. His feet would often cross and he would put all of his weight on his toes. Because of this, he preferred to walk on his knees or use a wheelchair to get around. TASES was used for three weeks during his therapy sessions to practice sit to stand, walking forward, walking backward and cruising. At the end of the three weeks, Cade demonstrated improved strength, endurance and flexibility. He was able to stand up on flat feet at a table, and stay standing for a few minutes before needing a rest.
Soon after, Cade learned how to step over objects and shift his weight so he could clear the objects with both feet. He was able to walk forward longer distances, with the help of a gait trainer, than before and get down off his tippy toes. He was also able to walk backward, with the help of a gait trainer, to improve his heel contact. During the last day of his intensive therapy session, Cade told Lauren to look away while he took on a small staircase by himself and surprised both Lauren and his parents when he made it to the other side!
TASES has been an amazing tool for our physical therapists to use on clients to strengthen their muscles, improve their range of motion and increase endurance for improved mobility.
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.