"I have used this machine by no means enough to really see its true potential but enough to make me sure it has a real role in rehabilitation. The evidence is that FES is effective so adding a visualisation component putting the patient in control of the movement can surely only be better.

IMF can be used by occupational therapists and physiotherapists but the patient needs to be chosen carefully as it cannot be used with a pacemaker or near any metal in the body. The patient also needs to be alert, orientated and motivated. I have used IMF once or twice only with 5 patients and instantly seen an increase in voluntary movement in 4 of these. The same has occurred with some of the clients in the Different Strokes exercise group including one lady who had a stroke 27 years ago. She was astonished to find that IMF was effective for her and that the neural pathways are still open and plastic all these years later!

Our department is not in a position to purchase this therapy and neither am I in a position to try and get hold of one through a research grant. However I am aware that in NANOT’s Research and Development action plan, there are centres of excellence in research who may be able to provide the evidence base from a British standpoint which may put this therapy on the map. Who knows, if our evidence supports it, maybe it will be recognised by NICE as a way ahead!"