In this episode, hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS interview physical therapist and inventor Erica Demarch, PT, MSPT about her work at the intersection of neuro rehab, motor learning, and wearable technology. Erica shares how her background founding her company, Step and Connect where she developed the Balance Matters system led her to join Magnes, a Swiss company that created NUSHU, a smart shoe with embedded sensors and vibrotactile feedback designed to analyze and improve gait in real time. She explains how the shoes capture over 35 gait parameters, support both assessment and treatment, and can be used in the clinic or at home, particularly for people with Parkinson’s disease and those experiencing freezing of gait. Erica discusses current and ongoing research, practical clinical use cases, challenges like individual variability in vibration perception, and the need to individualize cueing strategies. She also describes implementation models for clinics, emerging possibilities for remote monitoring, and her efforts to train and collaborate with clinicians through demos, courses, and networking events to further refine and expand the clinical applications of this technology.
Learn more at: magnes.ch
Follow on IG: @magnes_nushu
