Meet Steve, a 23-year Air Force Veteran and busy father of four. Steve is one of the veterans with MS who is using the Neural Sleeve to improve his mobility. This is his story.

Steve’s Legacy of Service and Activity

Steve grew up in the Puget Sound, a picturesque region of the Pacific Northwest. From an early age, physical activity was a priority for him, and that was especially true when he entered the Air Force. 

“I’ve always been physically active. During my time in the Air Force, I participated in a lot of intramural sports like soccer and softball. After service I was looking for something to fill that void and got into triathlons,” Steve said. 

Steve spent a combined 23 years in service – 15 years in active duty in the Air Force, and another 8 years in the Air Force Reserve and National Guard. When he retired in 2011, he was a Communications Officer in the Air National Guard. 

Today, Steve and his wife live in Carlsbad, CA, and have four children. He is active in his community and beyond, and his passions include traveling, visiting the beach, swimming, biking, going to church, and participating in Scouts with his youngest child. He is also passionate about his career as an executive in connected vehicle services.

“In 2015 I was doing triathlon training, and at the end of my long runs my foot was starting to slap,” Steve said. “At first, I thought it was a running injury. As time progressed and after meeting with many doctors, we realized it was something more.”

Finally, in 2017, he was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). He recalls the difficult early days of his diagnosis: “I was not very hopeful about my future. It felt very uncertain and there was a lot of stress with the slow, steady progression of disability. I went from running 8 to 10 miles at a time to barely running three. Then barely one, and then no longer running.”

Challenges with walking slowly progressed to where walking half a mile with an assistive device became a challenge. Activities like walking up a hill or climbing stairs were nearly impossible. For veterans with MS, often many steps are taken to manage disease progression. Steve is dedicated to remaining physically active. He also manages symptoms through a gluten and dairy free diet (he swears by the Wahls Protocol), as well as a DMT.

Steve first heard about the Neural Sleeve on social media, and experienced it firsthand with his physical therapist at Adapt Functional Movement Center several months later. He is also under the care of the team at the San Diego VA, who are supportive of emerging technologies like the Neural Sleeve for veterans with MS. With his doctor’s support, he was able to get the Neural Sleeve through his VA benefits. In April, Steve got his sleeve and went through onboarding. Steve was impressed at the quick turnaround time. He also noted how efficient the setup process was, and most importantly, how quickly he saw results.

“From the moment they had me dialed in, it seemed like I could walk stress-free,” Steve recounts. “I think that’s the main benefit. Being able to walk stress-free. Not having to worry about where my foot is going to land and whether I can get my toe up. I can just walk.”

Before the Neural Sleeve, Steve used a cane for mobility, in particular if he was walking or running errands on his own. Today, he no longer needs a cane when he wears his Neural Sleeve. Powered by the Sleeve, he now walks up to a mile without the cane. He also shared that he feels stronger even when he isn’t wearing his Neural Sleeve. In his words, “My foot comes up higher and there is more knee bend. Like my body remembers how I used to walk.” Steve has also observed improvements to his posture.

“Cionic has really enhanced my ability to move around and do daily tasks, and also to go out on longer outings. Now I have that confidence that I’ll be able to handle the full days with walking around. It has put me in a different mindset. I’m calmer and not so stressed about my disease. I feel hopeful and more positive about my outlook.”

CIONIC is proud to serve veterans with MS like Steve. In addition to veterans with MS, the Neural Sleeve is also available for veterans who have difficulty walking or need to rebuild strength due to a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological condition. Through our recent partnership with Lovell Government Services, we are proud to expand availability for the Neural Sleeve to the entire VA network. This important milestone allows us to serve the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States.

If you are a veteran who wants to learn more about accessing the Neural Sleeve under your VA benefits, visit cionic.com/va