{"id":395537,"date":"2026-09-10T05:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T05:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/395537\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T05:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T05:30:11","slug":"non-invasive-device-changing-spinal-cord-recovery-offering-hope-at-orlando-adaptive-gym","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/395537\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-invasive device changing spinal cord recovery, offering hope at Orlando adaptive gym"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tech \"Tech Tech Offers New Hope at Orlando Adaptive Gym<\/a> <\/p>\n

NextStep Orlando is utilizing the groundbreaking ARC-EX device to help individuals with spinal cord injuries regain hand and arm function through non-invasive stimulation. The adaptive gym’s founder and two local patients opened up about how this cutting-edge technology is restoring everyday mobility and providing a renewed sense of independence.<\/p>\n

ORLANDO, Fla. – A horrific car accident broke Amanda Perla’s neck, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down during her senior year of high school. She spent her summer in inpatient rehab instead of preparing for college like her friends.<\/p>\n

Refusing to accept a wheelchair as her only future, Perla and her mother co-founded NextStep Orlando in 2009. The facility operates as an adaptive gym where exercise is used as medicine to challenge disability rather than accept it.<\/p>\n

Invasive stimulation alternatives available <\/p>\n

What they’re saying:<\/p>\n

Clients describe the facility as a community where people going through similar life-altering situations support each other. Ellen Becker moved to the area after doctors warned her family following an 18-year-old accident that she might never wake from a coma.<\/p>\n

Becker is now enrolled in school and using the ARC-EX system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Electrical stimulation therapy using ARC-EX <\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Electrical stimulation therapy using ARC-EX <\/p>\n

The non-invasive spinal cord stimulation device sends gentle electrical pulses to the spinal cord to improve upper extremity function, offering an alternative to implanted epidural stimulators.<\/p>\n

Sensation and balance improvements <\/p>\n

What’s next:<\/p>\n

Participants report experiencing light tingling sensations during treatment as they work toward regaining day-to-day independence. Robert Mudge, who was paralyzed in 2001, noted that small milestones like pinching a French fry or picking up a drink carry huge promise.<\/p>\n

Becker says she has noticed changes in her sensation and balance since starting therapy. Her primary goal is to hold and throw a softball again after pitching in high school.<\/p>\n

Hope for ongoing recovery <\/p>\n

What we don’t know:<\/p>\n

Officials have not yet confirmed the full long-term recovery limits for clients using the device, as medical textbooks traditionally put strict timeframes on spinal injury progress.<\/p>\n

The facility continues to challenge misconceptions that recovery is impossible over time.<\/p>\n

The information in this story was gathered from a broadcast report covering NextStep Orlando, which featured interviews with co-founder Amanda Perla, clients Ellen Becker and Robert Mudge, as well as facility demonstrations.<\/p>\n

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by NextStep Orlando, an adaptive gym co-founded by Amanda Perla, and through interviews with Perla, and gym clients Ellen Becker and Robert Mudge.<\/p>\n

Orange County News<\/a>Orlando News<\/a>Technology<\/a>Health<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tech Offers New Hope at Orlando Adaptive Gym NextStep Orlando is utilizing the groundbreaking ARC-EX device to help…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":395538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[47,571,115,1335,139,141,140,1576,628],"class_list":["post-395537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-fl","tag-health","tag-news","tag-orange-county","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-technology","tag-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=395537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/395538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=395537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=395537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=395537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}