Has anyone tried a motorized pedal exerciser?

[green244]

Not sure if it will work for someone with limited leg strength (no ability to keep feet on the pedals). Have you found one that can secure the feet well enough? Also, some reviews say the reliability on these things is poor.

[mrsmike9]

If the "exerciser" is motorized, where is the exercise? I've seen ads for them on TV and always wondered that. If you are not using your muscles, but letting them be moved...???

[Xvettech in reply to mrsmike9]

I agree. I have a non motorized one. It helps but doesn’t cure. lol

[green244 in reply to mrsmike9]

It helps with the spasticity. My husband had a PT consult and the PT wants his caregiver and me to move his arms and legs three times a day to reduce spasticity and the edema nurse says that passive movement helps with edema as well. I'd rather buckle him into a machine and then he can have it longer without me being involved. I'm already spending lots of time with wrapping and unwrapping compression bandages (compression socks no longer work) and bed transfers (he has to elevate his feet for a couple hours each day unbandaged) and toilet transfers and wiping his butt, etc. etc. This is one thing that I would no longer have to do.

This is why I wish there were more people on here with higher levels of disability. We are so far past most of the discussions on this board. We are trying to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of colostomy bags and in-dwelling catheters. Most people on here are trying to decide which walker to buy or how to combat fatigue. It's frustrating for me because the MS doctors don't treat symptoms and the GP (while we do have a good one) only goes so far. I'm trying to figure out if we can do a urologist consult by phone. It's very difficult to get my husband to the doctor's office. My husband just finished a round of antibiotics for a low-grade UTI. My feeling is that if it comes back, he's probably not evacuating fully. At that point, the risk of a UTI without a catheter might equal the risk of a UTI with a catheter. My husband is more interested in the colostomy bag because it frees him up to go out of the house. Nothing worse than a poopy diaper that you can't change. But, the research he has done indicates that the bag might have to be emptied as much as 5 times per day. Would be nice to hear from some real world experience.

[Cutefreckles72 in reply to green244]

Hi green244, Sorry about the health problems your husband is going thru. I don't know anything about the motorized pedal exerciser. I am in a motorized wheelchair. Due to having PPMS. But I do have previous experience with the colostomy bag. I had to wear it for 1 year and it wasn't bad. I had colon cancer. With the bag, it all depends on how much you eat and gas. I changed it when it needed changing and kept the stoma cleaned around the bag attached at. The only problem I dealt with was just having to lay in the bed on one side because you can't lay on the bag. Good luck.

[green244 in reply to Cutefreckles72]

thanks for letting me know your experience. Since I will be changing the bag, can I ask how many times a day you had to empty it?

[jackgaume in reply to green244]

I have used a modernized peddler and it helped reduce edema and it helped my strength. I’m Al but bedridden now and have other health challenges as well as MS. I recommend the use of a peddler. We bought ours.

[Cutefreckles72]

You will have to go thru your insurance in order to get a box of bags.