Making the Invisible Visible : Technology For Mobility In Parkinson's Disease
- Lifespark
- 13 hours ago
- 5 min read
Part of the STEP 2026 World Parkinson's Day Event
Delivered by Amey Desai, CEO of Lifespark Technologies
Making the Invisible Visible: A New Way to Understand Parkinson’s, at Home
At the start of the session, Mr. Amey Desai asked the audience to close their eyes and point to a yellow shirt nearby. Most couldn’t.
That simple exercise captured one of the core challenges in Parkinson’s care:
“We cannot change what we cannot measure.”
For patients and caregivers, many symptoms—small hesitations, subtle imbalance, early freezing—often go unnoticed until they become serious. This talk focused on bringing those invisible mobility symptoms into clear view, and showing what can be done about them.
The Hidden Reality of Living with Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s is not one uniform journey. Each person experiences it differently, and symptoms can fluctuate from day to day.
“No two people’s journey is the same… that is why tracking becomes even more important.”
What makes this particularly difficult is that most of life happens outside the clinic:
Symptoms occur at home, not in front of doctors
Caregivers often rely on guesswork
Clinical visits capture only brief snapshots
“Most of the time we are at home… we are always guessing… we cannot convey the right information to our neurologist.”
This creates a “fog” — where progression is unclear, risks are hidden, and decisions are reactive instead of proactive.
Why Mobility Symptoms Matter So Much
Mobility issues like freezing of gait, imbalance, and hesitation are not just inconveniences — they are major risk factors.
Falls can lead to fractures, hospitalisation, and long recovery periods
Even one fall can trigger months of reduced activity
Many risks build quietly before becoming visible
“Turns are one of the well-known fall hazards… upper body turns, lower body doesn’t follow—and fall happens.”
Another challenge is access:
Less than 4000 neurologists for 1.4 billion people in India
Limited physiotherapy access
Therapy is often expensive and inconsistent
All of this reinforces a key need: care must move into the home, and it must be continuous.
First Step: Simple Daily Awareness
Before even introducing technology, Mr. Desai emphasized use of a practical tools:
“Tick if you have had that symptom on that day… at the end of the week fill the rest.” If something is missing, that is the first priority.
These simple practices help patients and caregivers:
Notice patterns
Identify gaps in care
Prepare better for doctor visits
WALK: Helping the Body Move Better
One of the central innovations discussed was the WALK device — a wearable mobility aid worn on the thighs. Its purpose is to improve walking by working with the body’s own neural pathways.
How it works (in simple terms)
In a healthy person:
The brain sends signals to the spinal cord
The spinal cord helps coordinate walking automatically
In Parkinson’s:
These signals are weaker due to dopamine loss
“The connection from the brain to the spinal cord is reduced… but there is a trick.”
WALK uses targeted muscle stimulation to help the spinal cord respond better to these signals.
“We can make the spinal cord pay more attention to this reduced signal.”
What does this mean in real life?
The biggest improvements are seen in everyday situations that often cause difficulty:
Starting to walk after sitting (initiation freezing)
Turning
Walking through cluttered spaces at home
“These are common situations at home that lead to freezing and falls… that is where WALK shows the best results.”
Patients often experience:
Longer, more confident steps
Reduced hesitation
Better balance during turns
The goal is simple but powerful:
“To prevent gait issues, to prevent falls… and to give therapy at home.”
PATHFINDER: Making Symptoms Measurable
If WALK helps movement, PATHFINDER helps understanding. It is a smartphone-based system that works with the WALK device to measure mobility and track risk.
What does it do?
PATHFINDER guides patients through simple tests such as:
Sitting and standing multiple times
Walking a short distance and turning
Balance and reaction time exercises
These are based on clinical assessments used to identify fall risk.
“If you cannot do it within a certain time… your risk of fall is higher.”
Turning Data into Clarity
What makes PATHFINDER powerful is what happens behind the scenes:
It measures small, often not humanly visible, changes to detect risk early
Identifies muscle groups that may be weak or rigid
At the end, it gives a “safety score” and a clear picture of risk.
“We have now shed light on things that will lead to falls… but much earlier, before they start causing issues.”
From Measurement to Action
Measuring alone is not enough — the next step is personalized action.
PATHFINDER uses the data to:
Recommend specific personalized exercises which can be followed via a smartphone
Adjust difficulty based on risk level
Provide ongoing feedback
“If you have high fall risk… it will recommend sitting or prone exercises. If you are okay… standing mobility exercises.”
Over time:
Progress is tracked every two weeks
Trends are visualized
Therapy is adjusted as needed
“Now that we can see it, we can modify it”
What Improvement Can Look Like
Early observations shared in the session were encouraging:
“With WALK, we have seen that you can reduce symptoms by roughly 50% in six weeks of usage. PATHFINDER should be able to push that even higher, faster”
Clinical studies showed:
Improvement in mobility in a majority of users
Significant reduction in freezing severity
High response rate to the intervention
But it is important to be grounded: These results come with regular usage and time. It is important to follow these for atleast a few weeks.
Why This Matters for Caregivers
Often, changes in mobility are subtle and go unnoticed:
“Sometimes they are invisible… you can put a lot of weight on one leg and not really notice it until that leg has an injury.”
With clear data:
Caregivers can anticipate risks
Adjust the home environment
Support safer movement
It shifts care from reacting to planning ahead.
Actionable Takeaways for Patients and Caregivers
Here are practical steps you can adopt immediately:
1. Start tracking daily symptoms
Use a simple checklist
Look for patterns across the week
2. Focus on key mobility risks
Watch for hesitation when starting to walk
Be extra careful during turns
Keep walking paths at home clutter-free
3. Prioritize consistent movement
Even small, regular exercises matter
Avoid long periods of inactivity
4. Use measurable tests (if available)
Time simple activities like standing up or walking
Repeat regularly to detect changes
5. Personalize care
Not all exercises work for everyone
Focus on what improves your specific symptoms
6. Involve caregivers actively
Share observations
Make adjustments at home proactively
7. Embrace tools that bring visibility
Whether digital or manual, tracking makes a difference
A Shift in Perspective
The most important takeaway from the session is not just about technology—it’s about mindset.
Parkinson’s care cannot depend only on occasional doctor visits. It needs:
Continuous understanding
Data from real life
Active participation from patients and caregivers
“With PATHFINDER, we have a number. We track it. We work on it to reduce the risk.”
What was once invisible can now be seen.And once it is seen, it can be managed—with more confidence, clarity, and control.
Next session : Lived Journeys and Learnings shared by Parkinson's Warriors
