A patient-invented maneuver to alleviate freezing of gait using a foot loop band

Abstract

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling gait disorder in parkinsonian patients characterized by the inability to initiate or continue locomotion. I herein present a 65-year-old man with Parkinson's disease who invented a unique method (foot loop band) to alleviate FOG, which has not been previously described in the literature. The mechanisms to alleviate FOG include not only facilitating mechanical weight shift, but also restoring internal cueing and driving motor commands for gait initiation. This patient-invented maneuver may be recommended for patients having intractable FOG, because it is portable, cheap and safe.