AFO alternative: the Musmate

[ActiveMSers]

A fellow ActiveMSer was recommended the Musmate by her neuro at Tisch MS Center in New York City. Does anyone use this and if so, how is it? Looks interesting....

www.musmate.co.uk

[teena marie]

Hi Dave,

Happy 2019 and nice to see your posts.

I have used the musmate extensively and posted about it here several times. It is great. It really picks up the foot and helps to swing the leg through normally thereby preventing circumduction. It is also inexpensive, refundable and great customer service.

Definitely worth trying with nothing to lose.

Teena Marie

[ActiveMSers]

Another opinion from a fellow MSer. Clearly this product appears focused on foot drop, which TM found it helped a lot. The reviewer below has other issues, and did not find the same benefit.

Well, I got it and my response is underwhelming. It's cumbersome to put on and use. It helps lift my right foot ever-so-slightly as I walk. I had high hopes that it'd make it easier for me to walk longer distances. But, as far as I can tell, it really doesn't. I still get muscle fatigue quickly, so I don't really see a point to it. I haven't used it much - less than 5 times probably. Maybe I should really give it a try...but I find I don't really structure my life in such a way that I ever need to walk far. Crutches, walkers, scooter, wheelchair work well for me. If the MuSmate enabled me to really walk again, then I'd be motivated to use it and go for a walk, etc. MuSmate was designed specifically for foot drop. While I have some right foot drop, my right hip flexors (and quads and hamstrings) are the bigger problem. I told all this to my neuro. He thought I should look at another product called Tripleflex. It attaches to the foot and knee and hip. (The MuSmate only attached to the foot, hip and shoulder) I had to be evaluated by a PT for it. So I just did that and wanted to evaluate it all before writing to you. Well, again, I had high hopes. Dashed. It didn't work any better for my issue and it costs $1,000 (!!). The PT even thought I walked better with the MuSmate which costs $100 and which you can order online and you don't need an evaluation by a PT, etc.

Long story short (I know "too late"), neither really seem to help. And really cumbersome to wear.

[ActiveMSers]

A revision to the above review...

I tried the MuSmate again and found that maybe it is somewhat useful after all. Here's the typical scenario in which I have been using it: I'm by myself and I need to get from the handicapped parking spot into a store like Target to use their scooter. I could do it with my crutches only, but I would be exhausted by the time I get to the scooter. Sound familiar? I sat in my car looking at the walk for the longest time, and then I put on the MuSmate to give it another try. To my surprise, it did give me just enough of a boost to walk (with my crutches) more comfortably to the scooters inside. It's nothing revelatory, but it did help. I've readjusted the bungy cord length and that helps (I think I had it too tight before).

As with anything, it gets easier to put on the contraption every time. And I think that I probably just needed to get over myself about how ridiculous I look wearing the thing. It's not like I'm a sexpot dragging myself along with my crutches, so who cares if I accessorize with all these straps and bungy cords?

In short: It can help, but do not have high expectations.