The NexStride Difference

Actively seeking to make a difference

The NexStride team at De Oro Devices wants to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing Freezing of gait (also known as Parkinsonian gait). We have spent countless hours researching and refining NexStride so it is intuitive to use and blends seamlessly into daily life, ensuring optimal impact with minimal intrusion.

We believe in the power of technology to help make lives easier

The power of NexStride was first realized at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. The NexStride founders were challenged to create a tool that would alleviate and prevent freezing of gait in a local veteran. Our simple prototype gave him much needed relief. With great success in the NexStride multi-cue technology, we saw our mobility device's global potential to help others overcome Freezing of gait.

Continually looking for improved solutions

Our NexStride team is always looking for new ways to help others to overcome the daily challenges faced by people who experience Freezing of gait or Parkinsonian gait symptoms. So far, NexStride has helped countless individuals take back their freedom and their confidence — and we’re just getting started.

Freezing of Gait can be characterized into three different forms:

Pure Akinesia

No motion of the person’s legs is observed².

"Tremble in Place" Form

The person’s inability to step with their legs trembling.

"Shuffling" Form

A spontaneously increasing cadence and a decrease in step length³.

The most common forms of Freezing of gait (FoG) is shuffling and the tremble in place. These forms of FoG have been known to be major contributors to falls in people with Parkinson’s. For this reason, this can place an immense strain on carers and increased pressure on the health system due to the rise of hospitalizations⁴. Additionally, FoG complications can cause other non-motor issues such as anxiety, depression, and the overall decrease in a person’s quality of life⁵.

Benefits of Visual and Auditory Cues To Help Overcome Freezing Of Gait

Reduces Freezing Episodes

Studies conducted as early as 1990 show that visual cueing can help people with Parkinson’s overcome the effects of Freezing of gait (FoG). Over the years, research has demonstrated that cueing can help with the treatment of Parkinson’s by improve the patient's gait, walking speed, step length, and the number of steps per minute. These studies have also shown strength in reducing the number of freezing episodes.

Allows For Continued Movement

Cueing works by using physical stimuli to help the brain process time and create spatial awareness; this facilitates the initiation of movement and the continuation of movement. Recently, studies have shown that three different cueing variations can assist the brain in allowing movement. These techniques include visual cueing, auditory cueing, and somatosensory cueing.

Discover the NexStride mobility device

NexStride™ has helped countless individuals take back their freedom and their confidence. Our multi-cue technology can help reduce the duration and frequency of freezing episodes to keep you mobile. You can easily learn more about how NexStride works.

As seen in the news

Cueing In NexStride

NexStride is the first multi-cue daily assist mobility device that attaches to any standard cane, walker, or walking pole. Users can activate the audio cue, visual cue, or both, and adjust to preferred speed and distance.

These visual and audio cues help users re-establish the connection between the brain and the body and allow the user to walk smoothly again.

1. Sweeney D, Quinlan LR, Browne P, Richardson M, Meskell P, ÓLaighin G. A Technological Review of Wearable Cueing Devices Addressing Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease. Sensors (Basel). 2019;19(6):1277. Published 2019 Mar 13. DOI:10.3390/s19061277 • 2. Bloem B.R., Hausdorff J.M., Visser J.E., Giladi N. Falls and freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: A review of two interconnected, episodic phenomena. Mov. Disord. Off. J. Mov. Disord. Soc. 2004;19:871–884. DOI: 10.1002/mds.20115. • 3. Hausdorff J.M., Balash Y., Giladi N. Time series analysis of leg movements during freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: Akinesia, rhyme or reason? Phys. A Stat. Mech. Appl. 2003;321:565–570. DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(02)01744-2. • 4. Paul S.S., Harvey L., Canning C.G., Boufous S., Lord S.R., Close J.C.T., Sherrington C. Fall-related hospitalization in people with Parkinson’s disease. Eur. J. Neurol. 2017;24:523–529. doi: 10.1111/ene.13238 • 5. Ishii M., Okuyama K. Influence of Freezing of Gait on Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson’s disease. J. Fac. Health Sci. 2018;12:1–10.