Mollii suit for spasticity

The technology described in this briefing is the Mollii suit. It is used for reducing spasticity and improving motor impairment which happens because of upper motor neuron damage.

The innovative aspects are that Mollii suit delivers electrical stimulation through a full-body garment that aims to produce a whole-body response to reduce spasticity through a mechanism called reciprocal inhibition.

The intended place in therapy would be for treating people with muscle spasticity, although at which point in the care pathway is not yet clear. It would mainly be used in the home setting as either an alternative to, or as well as, current treatment options. These include physical therapies and medication.

The main points from the evidence summarised in this briefing are from 2 unpublished, non-comparative before and after studies available on the manufacturer (Inerventions) website. These studies include a total of 151 people (adults, young people and children) in Sweden. They suggest that the Mollii suit could be an effective option for people with conditions that cause spasticity.

Key uncertainties around the technology are that the evidence base is still developing with, as yet, no randomised controlled trials or independent comparative observational studies. Therefore, it is not clear whether the Mollii suit is effective when compared with other treatments. Because the available evidence was generated in Sweden and baseline care was not reported, it is unclear how generalisable findings are to the UK.

The cost of the Mollii suit is £4,100 per unit (excluding VAT). The resource impact for the NHS is highly uncertain because of a lack of evidence.