MyoPro Arm Orthosis: A Patient's Guide From Falk Prosthetics & Orthotics
By Jason Falk
If you are reading this, there is a good chance you or someone you love is living with arm weakness after a stroke, brachial plexus injury, spinal cord injury, or another diagnosis, and you are searching for something that actually helps. Maybe this is the first time you have heard the term myoelectric orthosis. I want you to know this before we get into the details: patients wearing MyoPro do remarkable things with it, cooking again, working again, holding a grandchild again, tasks that felt gone for good. This guide covers what MyoPro is, who it helps, how we determine candidacy, and what the process looks like from your first evaluation on.
What Is MyoPro and Why Would I Need One?
MyoPro is a myoelectric arm and hand orthosis built for patients whose arm or hand has been weakened by a stroke, brachial plexus injury, spinal cord injury, or certain neuromuscular conditions. Its job is to detect the electrical signal your muscles still produce, even when the resulting movement is too weak to see, and use small motors to help carry that movement through so you can bend your elbow, open your hand, or grasp an object. Here is the most important thing I can tell you: candidacy comes down to your own signal, strength, and goals, not just your diagnosis. That is why every fitting starts with a hands-on evaluation, never a decision made from a chart alone.
Who MyoPro Helps: Matching the Device to the Condition
Patients often come to us with the same condition but very different needs. Rather than treat every diagnosis the same way, here is how we think about the conditions we see most often and where MyoPro tends to help.
Stroke recovery
For many stroke survivors, arm weakness, or hemiparesis, is one of the most stubborn parts of recovery. Traditional therapy can plateau even when the nerve pathways are still capable of relearning. MyoPro gives the arm a way to keep practicing real, functional movement, carrying groceries, opening a jar, feeding yourself, which can support continued progress well beyond the standard therapy window.
Brachial plexus injury
Brachial plexus injuries can leave partial function in an arm that never fully returns to normal strength. For patients with some detectable signal remaining, MyoPro can bridge the gap between what the nerve can still do and what the arm needs to accomplish, often restoring tasks that felt permanently out of reach.
Spinal cord injury with some remaining arm function
Not every spinal cord injury eliminates arm function completely. For patients with incomplete injuries who retain some signal, MyoPro can amplify what is still there, supporting grip and reach for daily tasks.
Neuromuscular conditions
Certain neuromuscular conditions cause progressive or fluctuating arm weakness. For appropriate candidates, MyoPro can help maintain functional use of the arm for longer, supporting daily independence even as the underlying condition evolves.
Not every patient in these categories is a candidate. Signal strength, range of motion, and personal goals all factor into the decision, and that only becomes clear during an in-person evaluation.
How MyoPro Works, Without the Technical Overload
MyoPro reads the faint electrical signals your muscles are still producing, even when they’re too weak to move the joint on their own, and uses small motors to help complete the movement you’re already trying to make. Sensors placed against the skin pick up that signal. No needles, no implants, nothing invasive. When the device detects your intent to bend your elbow or open your hand, the motor assists the movement in real time. You’re still initiating and controlling the motion; the device is helping carry it through. With consistent use, that repetition can support muscle re-education, the kind of relearning the nervous system needs after a stroke or nerve injury. It’s not instant, and it’s not the right fit for everyone. But for the right candidate, it can mean the difference between an arm that just hangs there and one you can actually use again.
Key Features
Powered Assistance
Motors activate to assist with elbow bending, hand opening/closing, and reaching.
Muscle Re-education
Helps retrain neuromuscular pathways and may improve natural function over time.
Muscle Signal Detection
Advanced sensors detect faint muscle signals to capture your intent to move.
Functional Independence
Perform daily activities like feeding, carrying objects, and household tasks.
Professional Support
Prescribed by physicians and delivered by certified orthotics professionals.
Increased Range of Motion
Regular use supports rehabilitation goals by maintaining and improving mobility.
What Happens During a MyoPro Evaluation
The only way to know if MyoPro is right for you is to be evaluated in person, and here is what that actually looks like. We start by reviewing your medical history and the story of your injury or diagnosis, so we understand what you have already been through. From there, we test for detectable muscle signal in the affected arm using surface sensors, the same kind the device itself uses, to see how much your muscles are still trying to fire even if the movement isn’t visible yet. We check your range of motion at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, since that affects what the device can help with. Then we talk through your goals: what you want to be able to do again, whether that’s carrying a plate, working a keyboard, or simply not needing help with everyday tasks. If you look like a good candidate, we’ll often let you try a demo unit right there, so you can feel what it’s like to have the device respond to your own signal. Nothing is decided on assumptions. It’s decided on what your arm can actually do.
The Relationship Doesn’t End at the Fitting
MyoPro is not a one-time fitting for most patients. Signal strength changes as you use the device, sometimes improving as muscle re-education takes hold, and the device needs to be recalibrated to match. Goals shift too. The task you were focused on at your first fitting, maybe just holding a cup steady, often gives way to bigger ones a few months in, like returning to hobbies or work tasks that once felt closed off. This is the part of the work we find most rewarding. We see patients through months and years of adjustment, not just a single appointment, and many of the people we fit stay connected with our team well beyond their first year with the device. Nobody understands a patient’s signal, goals, and progress like the team that has followed them since the beginning.
Why Choose Falk Prosthetics & Orthotics
Everything evaluated, everything personalized.
We do not fit MyoPro based on diagnosis alone. Every fitting starts with a hands-on evaluation of your signal, strength, range of motion, and goals, and every adjustment reflects what we find.
Advanced technology alongside traditional bracing.
From MyoPro to the G4 Foot Drop System to custom AFOs and prosthetics, your care never has to be referred out because a device is too specialized.
Team-based care.
We regularly coordinate with your neurologist, physiatrist, and physical or occupational therapist, so your device and your therapy work together.
A relationship that continues after the fitting.
Many of our patients stay with us for years of adjustments and follow-up. We are here for the first fitting and everything after.
Frequently Asked Questions About MyoPro
What makes MyoPro different from a traditional arm brace?
MyoPro is a myoelectric device that reads your own muscle signals and uses motors to help you actively move your elbow, wrist and hand, rather than simply holding the arm in a fixed position.
Does MyoPro work for both arms at once?
MyoPro is designed to support one arm at a time. During your evaluation, we’ll determine the best approach for your specific needs.
Will I need surgery or implants to use MyoPro?
No. MyoPro is fully non-invasive. It reads muscle signals through sensors placed on the surface of the skin.
How do I know if I'm a candidate?
Candidacy depends on whether you have enough detectable muscle signal in the affected arm, along with your range of motion and goals. We assess this directly during an in-person evaluation.
Is MyoPro covered by insurance?
MyoPro is commonly covered by Medicare and many private insurance plans. Our team assists with verification and the documentation required for approval.
How long before someone notices a difference?
It varies by patient and condition. Some people notice they can initiate movement again fairly quickly, while the fuller benefit of muscle re-education tends to build with consistent use and follow-up adjustments.
Schedule an Evaluation
If you or a loved one has been living with arm weakness from a stroke, brachial plexus injury, spinal cord injury, or a neuromuscular condition, we would be glad to meet you. We serve patients throughout Palm Beach and Broward counties from our offices in Delray Beach, Jupiter, and Hollywood. To get started, reach out to our team to schedule an evaluation. Bring your questions. We will take all the time you need.