ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Crystal Richardson works hard at her physical therapy sessions and in recent months has seen an improvement in her mobility.

“Before I could do things. But now I can do more,” she said.

Richardson suffered multiple strokes 20 years ago, likely caused by sickle cell anemia. As a result, she experienced decreased mobility on her right side and limitations to her ability to speak.

For the most part, the benefits to stroke patients from physical therapy plateau after about six months. Years after her strokes, Richardson is once again seeing increased mobility from physical therapy thanks to an implantable device known as a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS).

Dr. Alexandre Carter is a WashU neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in the division of neurotherapy. He

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