Oftentimes patients must exert a heroic effort to recover from or cope with an injury, surgery or neurological condition. While exercising on a regular treadmill can improve their strength and mobility, some struggle not to fall or falter as they walk or run. Fortunately, the Southeast Georgia Health System Outpatient Rehabilitation Care Center offers patients a unique advantage--the AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill™.
“The AlterG helps patients improve their balance, strength and mobility without strain,” states Brandon DeFeo, DPT, physical therapist at the Health System’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Care Center in Brunswick, Georgia. “The AlterG gives the patient a level of safety and security that in turn increases their confidence during therapy.”
To understand how AlterG works, imagine stepping onto a treadmill while positioning your lower body into a small, inflatable, pressurized air chamber that’s part of the treadmill. Your upper body is outside the chamber. Based on your body weight, DeFeo calibrates the amount of air in the chamber. In doing so, he reduces the gravitational load on your legs, allowing you to rehabilitate by walking or running without pain. “The AlterG precisely measures the patient’s weight before each use. We can decrease the weight by as little as one percent at a time to reach the desired effect,” explains DeFeo.
Regaining StrengthRecently, DeFeo has helped a young gymnast recover from a sports injury utilizing the Alter G. Addie Morris, age 11, was a level 4 gymnast with Southeastern Elite Gymnastics and Cheerleading when she sprained her MCL. Having clinched gold in vault at the 2021 AAU Gymnastics National Championship in the Xcel Silver age group, she was looking forward to her 2022 season when she was unfortunately sidelined for the remainder of the year. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Beau Sasser, MD, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon at Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery, Addie healed from her MCL injury and its resulting stress fracture. “Following such an injury as Addie’s, it’s important to strengthen the muscle around the impaired area,” says DeFeo.
“If pain continues even after an injury is healed, walking or running with the assistance of the AlterG helps desensitize the pain, which then allows the patient to regain their strength faster,” DeFeo adds. “In Addie’s case, even after her injury was healed and she was cleared to compete again, she was still experiencing some pain in her knee. I determined that her pain stemmed from a weakened muscle, and by using the AlterG, she’s been able to regain her strength with the goal of resuming her vault run pain-free. I’m confident she will do very well in her 2023 season.”
Reducing weight lessens stress on the joints, which is ideal for patients recovering from a knee injury or surgery, or for those who can’t otherwise run or walk. Athletes rehabilitate faster and can increase their training capacity without further injury. Patients with neurological disorders use AlterG to safely improve their stride, also known as their gait, along with their balance. As they walk, the machine analyzes their gait, allowing physical therapists like DeFeo to adjust the machine as needed. “It provides patients who have difficulty balancing a safe way to work on gait and static standing.” The anti-gravity technology is also ideal for patients struggling with obesity. One of DeFeo’s most inspiring patients, however, is a young woman with an above knee amputation. “She uses the AlterG to practice with her running prosthesis,” DeFeo says.
In the past, the only way to reduce weight and gravity on the joints was through hydrotherapy or using a harness for support. These methods were less safe and far less precise than the AlterG. By combining the weightlessness of swimming with the personalization of air pressure, the AlterG supports a safe journey back to optimal health.
Original source can be found here.
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