“When I get off the RT300, I can stretch out my legs easily, they’re nice and flexible. I’m itching to get back on the RT300!”
— Michael M.
When Michael was a junior in college, he fell off a roof while partying with friends. He suffered a T9 spinal cord injury.
Mike learned about the RT300 iFES system as an inpatient at the National Rehabilitation Hospital and at the VCU Medical Center. He soon got his own device for home.
“I started by stimulating the usual muscle groups: quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals. But I wanted to do more so I put abdominal and calf muscles into the mix. We added for of RT50 wireless stimulators, so now I can work all those muscle groups. It’s a much more efficient [regimen] for me.”
Mike uses the RT300 two to three times a week for an hour.
“It’s weird how I can be watching TV, or reading a book, or even falling asleep, and still be getting physical benefits and breathing heavily.”
He enjoys that after a session it makes him feel better overall, even helping his state of mind. When he doesn’t use his device, he can see his thighs shrinking.
“It’s important to me to keep up the muscle I had in my legs from playing football and baseball. It’s important to stay strong and healthy.”
Mike now completes marathons around the country including races such as the Marine Corp races, the New York Marathon, and the Boston Marathon.
“I’ve seen so many people- like my aunt, who’s a quadriplegic- just let their legs wither away. Or if they’re into sports, they have those big upper bodies with lower bodies like sticks. I recommend the RT300 to anyone who wants a nice balance between lower and upper. I mean, now i’m completing marathons!”
Mike came in fifth in the hand-cycle division of the Boston Marathon and beat his time from his previous marathon.
Congratulations, Mike!
“It’s opened a lot of doors for me. It’s made me a better person. It’s made me physically stronger and mentally stronger. It’s given me lots of opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. And it’s taught me a lot about myself. I learned that if I can conquer this, I can conquer anything.”
