Going to Paris from US to try Gondola AMPS therapy.

[PD-CareGiver]

Hello everyone, our plan is to leave on Apr 22nd. This is a costly experiment. We live in US. If you have any insight or know some one who has purchased this device, please share with me.

[Gcf51]

What I am reading indicates you can buy a device for in home use? I question whether you need to travel to Paris. gondola-medical.com/news/go...

[PD-CareGiver in reply to Gcf51]

Thanks for your reply. We do need to test it for three times and then order it. FDA has not approved it is US so we do need to go to one of their centers in Europe. I was trying to see if anyone on the site has tried it or knows someone who has bought it and got positive result. The device is very expensive (7800 EU). I was hoping to get some positive feed back before spending this amount.

[Salted in reply to PD-CareGiver]

May I ask what the cost is to visit a Gondola center for a trial?

[1267az3 in reply to Salted]

A few months ago I asked for information through the Gondola website for my pwp. They responded very quickly. I report their answer if it can be useful to you or someone else.

Thank you for your interest in the Gondola AMPS therapy.

The possibility that your pwp may benefit from the Gondola therapy depends on the symptoms he or she is currently experiencing. Gondola AMPS is particularly indicated for treating problems related to walking and balance, which usually appear in the mid-to-late stages of Parkinson's disease. However, in some cases, these symptoms may appear in the early stages of the disease. If your pwp has already experienced difficulty walking or maintaining balance, he or she may benefit from the treatment.

In order to provide you with a more precise answer on the effectiveness of the therapy in the specific case of your pwp, we would need more information about the symptoms he or she is experiencing.

If you wish, you can send us your medical documentation by email and we will contact you exclusively through this channel.

In the meantime, we take this opportunity to give you some general information about the therapy, the suitability visits and the costs.

Gondola AMPS is a non-invasive therapy, effective in improving some motor symptoms – in particular slowing down, muscle stiffness, balance problems, freezing of gait and motor blocks – caused by neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, peripheral neuropathy and ataxia.

The treatment is complementary to other therapies, which must be continued as prescribed by the doctor, allowing to improve the patient's independence and quality of life.

The therapy, delivered by the Gondola medical device, consists of a mechanical stimulation applied to two specific points located on both feet. In most cases, the benefits are immediately visible and last from 2 to 3 days, depending on the individual response of the patient. To maintain this benefit over time, the treatment (which lasts just under two minutes) should be repeated 2 or 3 times a week.

We recommend using the therapy from the intermediate stage of the disease, when symptoms such as slowing of movement, muscle stiffness and/or walking in small steps begin to appear. There are no contraindications for patients with pacemakers or DBS implants since it is simply mechanical pressure.

In order for the patient to evaluate their individual response, two preliminary visits are required at one of our Gondola Specialized Centers, which are usually carried out a few days apart. The cost of each session is €150.

At the following link you will find the complete list of active centers in the area: gondola-medical.com/it/pazi...

If the benefits obtained during these sessions are appreciable, it is possible for the patient to equip themselves with the Gondola Home medical device to be able to continue the therapy comfortably at home.

The total price of Gondola Home is €7,680 VAT included and two free calibrations are included.

Since it is a CE medical device, the patient has the possibility to deduct the cost of the device from their tax return the year after purchase. [this is for Italy]

We attach our brochure and a document that can be shown to neurologists or other specialists in the sector, which illustrates the treatment, the mechanism of action and the main related scientific publications.

Brochure_Gondola_Home_IT

GondolaHome_Clinical Studies_PD_IT

Hoping to do something appreciated, we also send links to some of the many videos on our YouTube channel.

General information on therapy: youtu.be/J9gIFas9vcA

How to perform the therapy independently: youtu.be/r1QA_Y359z0

Parkinson's patient interview: youtu.be/auK-YCMdcaI

Stroke patient interview: youtu.be/w7p6F7IEJ-A

Peripheral Neuropathy patient interview: youtu.be/O1TxZ6cvXtY

We remain at your disposal for any further clarification or, if you wish, to schedule an initial session at the center closest to you.

P.S: With my pwp we then decided to wait, because his journey is still at the beginning. We will take her into consideration if in the future he needs it and if we'll have enough availability...

[PD-CareGiver in reply to Salted]

150 EU. Did you see one of responses mentioning a device called Beech band? Now we have cold feet about Gondola.

See below

google.com/url?sa=t&source=...

[evenshoshan]

Hello PD-Caregiver,

I understand that the company Gondola is based in Switzerland. Then why Paris? I live in the heart of Paris with family in the medical field who are on the constant lookout for a treatment that could help me. Gondola has never, I repeat never, come up on their radar. Are we (am I) missing something ?

[PD-CareGiver in reply to evenshoshan]

Hello evenshoshan, they have a center in Paris, Milan and couple of other cities in Italy. If it helps, make a difference in Freezing and size of step which is a big problem for my husband. His sister lives in Paris so we decided to go there. We will be there for 3 weeks from Apr 23rd to May 12 or 14. I heard about this device on this site.

[michelagvolpe]

in my city in italy there is a clinic where you can try it. My brother tried it for several sessions but had no positive results (he does not have PD but ataxia). I would not spend a lot of money without first trying the device for a few months.

[Fed1000]

Good morning, think carefully before undertaking such a demanding journey unless it is for tourism. I report below the considerations on the device by Prof. Gianni Pezzoli, specialized in Neurology and Neurosurgery and Director of the structure of the Parkinson's and Parkinsonism Center of the Orthopedic and Trauma Center "G. Pini" in MIlano Italy: " the Gondola device has been available for several years now. Despite the publication of some works that would confirm its validity, I have not had very positive experiences from patients who have used it. It is a device that applies a non-specific painful stimulus to the sole of the foot. I no longer have patients who use it continuously. Treatment with mechanical stimulation of the foot (FMS or foot mechanical stimulation) does not have a precise indication (for example freezing of gait or postural instability) and to date is supported only by preliminary data that have show, in some patients affected by mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (patients able to walk independently even if with moderate instability), a benefit on some characteristics of gait when assessed through gait analysis. No studies with FMS have been conducted in people with early-stage Parkinson's disease and mild symptoms, nor in patients with advanced stages of the disease or in patients with freezing of gait and it istherefore not possible to give any indications". I wish you the best.

[YoungPD-48]

I would suggest, first try Beech band, its cheap , cost around £ 20, google Beech band, I have ordered for me and should get delivery by end of April 25

[pad99999 in reply to YoungPD-48]

can i ask how are you ordered ?

[YoungPD-48 in reply to pad99999]

please go on Carl Beech facebook page for more details

[jocelyng in reply to YoungPD-48]

It’s not available in the US until later in the year.

[PD-CareGiver in reply to YoungPD-48]

Thank you soooo much for Information about Beech band. Now we have cold feet about Gondola.I assume you were able to pre-order it. It will be available in UK in Jun/July for people living in UK. It is not available till then. I read about it, it is not for wearing all the time.

[janers]

if it is a foot stimulator, I really recommend using a golf ball to step on (while holding onto something stable with your hands) and running it over the bottom of the foot for a deep foot massage. I do find that this helps a lot with gait, balance, and overall nervous system performance

[TomGreen]

Have a look at Second Opiion Newsletter. There is information about a doctor who has cured over two hundred people of Parkinson's Disease. This happened in the USA. You do not have to travel to Paris.

[ForcedToJoinToRead in reply to TomGreen]

What is Second Opiion Newsletter?

[TomGreen in reply to ForcedToJoinToRead]

It is an Alternative Health Newsletter whose aim is to cure a health condition and not to treat the symptoms like pharmaceutical drugs do. They cannot make any money if you are cured of any health condition. Why do you think that curing a health condition is censored? The bottom line is always money.

[ForcedToJoinToRead in reply to TomGreen]

Hi Tom, and thank-you for your reply, I went to the site, and see that it is not something I am interested in. The leads into the articles are tantalizing - but also with words like 'miracle', I find them suspicious and much like pop up ads that always lead to overly long videos to 'believe' and buy something. To start, one cannot read any of the articles without subscribing/paying. So money does seem to be at the root of everything as you stated.