Walking with a wearable robotic exoskeleton may enable people with multiple sclerosis to walk more efficiently by reducing the energy and muscle activity needed to walk, according to research presented this week at the Association for Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Sacramento, Calif.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the body's immune system attacks its central nervous system -- the brain and spinal cord. The disease is chronic and potentially disabling and has a variety of symptoms, including numbness and weakness in the legs, tremors, lack of coordination or unsteady walking and even paralysis. It is estimated that 2.3 million people worldwide suffer from MS.