Consider how difficult it is to walk. Humans are the only mammals who regularly walk around on only two legs and if you think about it, we are in constant danger of tipping over. Thanks to our brain managing to process a huge amount of input and send the correct signals to our muscles we generally manage to avoid catastrophic falls. Now think about the surfaces where you walk most days. Are they smooth like a treadmill or do they have bumps, obstacles, elevations and declines? Now think about what a challenge the simple act of walking is for people with neurological disabilities such as cerebral palsy and stroke.

Step of Mind, based in Israel, developed the Re-Step™ system to improve the walking and balance performance of stroke and brain trauma patients or people with CP. As the company’s website states:

“The system consists of a pair of special shoes whose sole height and angles change in a specific given order, thereby facilitating motor learning and problem solving in real time.

The shoes measure the parameters of the user’s gait. Additionally, progress data and treatment recommendations can be delivered to different types of computers (desktops, tablets, etc.) or smart mobile devices connected to the system.”

The clip below provides a brief explanation of how the system works:

Re- Step was partly developed by Dr. Simona Bar Haim, who before earning her PhD while in her forties, worked with children with cerebral palsy as a physical therapist. Several scientific studies have been published in peer reviewed journals showing the system’s effectiveness.

It is no secret that the Middle East is one of the most conflict-ridden areas on the globe. That is why it is so refreshing to note that, in addition to in Israel, Step of Mind has is actively collaborating with health professionals in the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Turkey