Gondola Medical for Freezing of Gait

[Delaraysbest]

is this device available in the U.S. and has anyone tried it. Sounds like the Tass gloves for your feeet

Looks promising if it works!

gondolamedical.com

[michelagvolpe]

My brother tried it for Ataxia. It doesn't work for his disease. I don't know for Parkinson.

[popo1]

gondola-medical.com/

[Boscoejean]

this is nothing short of amazing in that I just read research about an acupressure technique that seems to address similar points on the feet

frontiersin.org/journals/ne...

acupressure points on the foot from research

[Boscoejean]

"2.3.1 Therapeutic Thai acupressure treatment arm

This study defined TTA as deep acupressure applied to specific acupoints using the thumb (26, 28, 29). In this study, the pressure intensity was gradually increased within 3–5 s until the participants reported mild discomfort, and this pressure level was sustained for 6 s, after which it was gradually reduced over roughly 5 s (26, 28, 29, 39). This procedure was executed by YM, the principal investigator and a certified therapeutic Thai massage practitioner accredited by the Ministry of Education, Thailand, and with 18 years of professional experience.

In the preparation stage, participants’ feet were sanitized using alcohol. For the intervention, acupressure was applied to four predetermined acupoints, split between both feet: the head of the big toe and the base of the first metatarsal bone, located between the sesamoid bones (21, 22, 40). These acupoints were selected based on their significant vibratory and touch pressure sensitivity thresholds in patients with PD, as well as the emergence of the monosynaptic reflex in the tibialis anterior muscle (21, 22, 40). The chosen acupoints aligned with the standard therapeutic Thai acupoints on the plantar, which are recognized for their role in influencing motor function in the lower extremities (25, 26). Adhering to Thai traditional medicine principles, acupressure was initially applied to the left foot before shifting to the right (26). This procedure was repeated four times (21, 22, 40). In total, TTA took 96 s which consisted of 6 s at the discomfort threshold per acupoint, i.e., on 4 target acupoints in total with 2 acupoints per foot, and repeated 4 times (21, 22, 40) (Figure 2)."

frontiersin.org/journals/ne...

[Boscoejean]

cost of treatment I am thinking this may be in Euros

According to information available, the cost of a Gondola AmPS device typically falls within a range of €300 to €16,000 depending on the specific configuration and purchase location; however, it's important to consult with a medical professional or the manufacturer for accurate pricing in your area.

as a point of reference 300 Euros currently is $316.97

16,000 Euros currently is $16,905.28

[1267az3 in reply to Boscoejean]

Io ho contattato Gondola circa un mese fa. Mi hanno risposto molto gentilmente ed esaurientemente, scrivendomi tra l'altro che Il prezzo totale di Gondola Home è di € 7.680 IVA inclusa e sono comprese due calibrazioni gratuite.

Penso sia riferito all'Italia...

[Delaraysbest in reply to 1267az3]

Translation available?

[Boscoejean in reply to Delaraysbest]

translation

"I contacted Gondola about a month ago. They responded very kindly and comprehensively, writing among other things that the total price of Gondola Home is €7,680 including VAT and two free calibrations are included."

I think it refers to Italy...

[1267az3 in reply to Delaraysbest]

Sorry, here:

I contacted Gondola about a month ago. They responded very kindly and comprehensively, writing to me among other things that the total price of Gondola Home is € 7,680 VAT included and two free calibrations are included.

I think it refers to Italy

[PD-CareGiver in reply to 1267az3]

I contacted them too. It is process of FDA approval since 2016!!!They quoted me around € 7,680 too. They have a branch in Paris too. We are planning to go to Paris to test it around May this year. .

[1267az3 in reply to PD-CareGiver]

good luck. I wish you the best! they olso have a branch in Milano

[popo1]

Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in learning more about Gondola AMPS.

Unfortunately, there are currently no Gondola assessment centers in the United States. However, we do have centers in Europe, including Italy and Switzerland, if you’re open to traveling.

Below you’ll find detailed information about the therapy, how it works, and what benefits it may offer.

The AMPS therapy that Gondola® device delivers is a noninvasive treatment to reduce motor and balance impairments due to Parkinson’s disease, Stroke and Ataxia. More specifically, the device is effective in treating: - Freezing of gait, and gait hesitation, - Poor walking, - Reduced balance, - Motor blocks / Akinesia. The treatment given with the Gondola® device is to be intended to be an add-on treatment to traditional therapies to improve the patient’s independence and quality of life without adding new drugs.

The AMPS therapy is based on a pressure-based stimulation of two specific points of both feet; it is fast (a full treatment cycle lasts less than 2 minutes), benefits are in most cases immediately visible and remain for a period ranging from 2 to 4 days, depending on the patient’s response.

Initially, two preliminary stimulations in a Gondola partner center are required to evaluate the benefits and to understand if this therapy represents the ideal solution for the patient; preferably the two treatments are to be performed within a few days.

Only after having carried out the eligibility tests and received a positive response from the doctor, the patient can decide to proceed with the purchase of the device, that will be delivered in the same partner center in which the patient had the visits, as it needs to be calibrated according to the patient’s needs.

The price of the device is CHF. 8.700.- VAT included while the price of examinations to determine a patient's eligibility is CHF. 200.- each.

The Gondola® device is now sold in Switzerland, Italy, and France only: as per our company policy, this device is distributed only in the countries in which a Gondola® partner center is present so that we can grant the best possible assistance and service to all our patients in case of any need.

However, if you have the possibility to visit us in Milan, we will be pleased to give you all the necessary assistance.

Whether you will be eligible for treatment, the device will be produced on purpose, personalized, and handled in the partner centre in which you had the appointments.

Therefore, please consider staying in Milan for three weeks to complete the procedure.

The address of the Milan Centre is the following:

Via Giuseppe Ponzio, 78

20133 - Milano

Enclosed you can also find our brochure that explains the therapy and its mechanism of action.

We remain at your disposal for any further information.

Kind regards,

Elena Zanotti

Elena Zanotti

Customer Care Manager

Mobile: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

CHF are swiss francs and 8700 = >$10kUSD

just for acupressure - jeez

i can't wait for the beechband to be available here in the US

[Buckholt]

Has there been any independent study or review of this device?

[Boscoejean in reply to Buckholt]

this may be independent- it is kind of hard for me to tell for sure

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

[pdbuzzboard]

I found a number of articles on AMPS (Automated Mechanical Peripheral Stimulation) that give it some credibility. Concur with Boscoejean that this looks like an accupressure device. They apply pressure (small sylus) to two points on each foot for a relatively short period of time. We don't have the balance and gait issues referenced, so testing here doesn't make much sense. However, application with an accupressure pen on the two points (the machine does two per foot at the same time) may give an indication of how this approach may work for you. As accupressure pens are about $7 on Amazon, it might be a place to start.

One interesting note is that they use a larger stylus for their placebo device.