The entire world has been fundamentally revolutionized in the wake of technological advancements and rapid digitalization. And one of the most important facets of modern life to be directly impacted by this technological revolution is the global health industry. It is not at all difficult to understand why. This is the sector that is designed around improving and preserving the health and the lives of people all over the world. It is also an unfortunate reality that the global health industry faces many onslaughts and issues, some of which are fleeting, and some that are ongoing. One of the most prominent and ongoing issues in healthcare is the affordability and the availability of adequate physical mobility technologies for those living with a physical disability. Living with a physical disability is difficult, but we now live in a reality where there are solutions in development that aim to make the lives of the physically disabled easier and more comfortable. It is an ongoing process, and it is one that is difficult to understand unless you have experienced it yourself.
These days, everything from mobility scooters to prosthetic limbs is being constantly innovated and improved. And with every new iteration comes a new influx of interest, renewed hope for those who benefit from these technologies. It is near impossible (if not entirely impossible) to truly be able to understand what it is like to live with a physical disability (or any type of health impairment, for that matter) unless you have lived with it yourself. Many of us are lucky enough to never have to know what that feels like first-hand, but for those that do know the feeling all too well, there is renewed hope in the wake of furthering advancements in health technology that aims to – quite literally – give them a new lease on life. Sometimes, something as seemingly simple as a walking cane can make an astonishing difference, CBD oil for pain, home cannabis growing kits, and other times having access to a mobility system like a scooter or even a prosthetic limb, can be life-changing in all the best ways. For every individual, the circumstances and the requirements are different. But the goal is always the same.
And then there are the multiple technological efforts working towards the restoration of spinal cord injuries. There have been several technological solutions under development in recent months, and each of them has yielded intriguing (to say the least) results. Most recently, multiple paraplegic individuals began to take their first tentative steps again after researchers planted electrical devices in their lower backs with the aim of kick-starting epidural stimulation. This is just the latest in a long-winded and ongoing series of health technology advancements that have worked towards the repair of physical disabilities in affected individuals. Health technology has never been this advanced, and it will also never again be this mundane. It is a unique balance to strike, and it is a field of immense potential and exceedingly high hopes for the researchers and scientists working towards achieving viable and long-lived adequate solutions, those directly affected by physical disability, their loved ones, and the world.
For years, the attitude towards disability in general, as well as people who live with disabilities of their own, has been decidedly awkward at best, and outright negative at worst (to put it lightly). However, with the rise of awareness and further development in solutions to these types of health concerns, the tide is changing. The attitude towards disability is finally changing, shifting into a more positive and supportive gear, but there is a long way to go. The simple fact is that physical mobility technology is still advancing, and further developments are only going to serve as consistent iterations of improvement, always increasing the hope and quality of life for those who can make use of them. It is an exciting time for health technology, and this is just the beginning. The most exciting part is that what today is regarded as the most revolutionary iterations in health tech will one day be fondly remembered as the humble beginnings of something bigger, stronger, bolder, faster.
Technological innovation and digital advancement have each done their part to improve the world we live in, and they continue to do so. In fact, technological advancements are so prominent these days that you would be hard-pressed to find any facet, any industry in the modern world that has not been affected by technological advancement and rapid digitalization in one way or another. One of the most consistent and highly impacted industries of them all is the global health industry. And while all the remarkable advancements in healthcare are exciting and worthy, perhaps the most astonishing and life-changing advancements of all are those in direct correlation with improving the lives of people living with physical disabilities. From the mobility scooters and prosthetics that are in development or available to the market, to the tech-powered stimulation techniques and implant and transplant strategies used to breathe new hope into people with physical disabilities, this is an exciting era for health technology – and the world.