Whether you’re a competitive athlete who’s anxious to get back in the game or you simply want to walk normally again, nothing is more important than fully rehabilitating from a hip, knee, leg, ankle, or foot injury as quickly as possible.
That’s exactly what you can achieve when your rehabilitation includes time on the AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill™ at Prolete Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine in Milford, Connecticut. Here’s how the advanced AlterG can shorten your recovery time.
How the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill works
The AlterG is a treadmill with a chamber that lowers to let you get on the treadmill, then raises to waist level. Before getting on the AlterG, you put on specially designed shorts. The shorts are zippered into the chamber opening, closing the chamber while giving you comfortable support as the chamber is filled with air.
The air pressure inside the chamber is greater than outside the chamber, which has the effect of reducing your body weight. We can gradually unload your weight in increments of 1%, gently unweighting your body by 20-100%, depending on the weight-bearing protocols of your rehabilitation plan.
Once you’re in the AlterG, you can walk or run on the treadmill without placing your full weight on your lower body. We may also have you exercise in the antigravity chamber without turning on the treadmill, so you can start to move or improve your awareness of your body without the exertion of walking.
How an antigravity treadmill shortens your recovery
Few things are as essential to recovering from an orthopedic injury or after orthopedic surgery than moving the affected leg, restoring your range of motion, and strengthening your muscles. Here’s how an antigravity treadmill accomplishes all those goals in less time.
Start rehabilitation sooner
Before the AlterG was available, you couldn’t rehabilitate until you healed enough to allow weight bearing. With the AlterG, your weight bearing is precisely controlled, allowing you to start exercising at a body weight that’s comfortable and protects your healing tissues.
As a result of early rehabilitation, you’ll prevent the muscle atrophy and bone demineralization that occur when you’re inactive, which shortens your healing time. Additionally, early movement boosts blood flow, reduces swelling, and promotes healing.
As you heal, we can gradually increase the load to support rehabilitation that progresses more quickly than what we can accomplish without the antigravity environment.
Preserve normal muscle movement
While there are other ways to unload your body weight, such as water therapy or using a harness, the AlterG is the only approach that allows you to use normal body mechanics in an unweighted environment.
Your muscles and joints continue to function normally despite your reduced body weight, and you regain strength and mobility at a faster pace.
Exercise or train longer
When you’re rehabilitating, we carefully monitor the time you spend exercising. As your injury heals, you can exercise longer on the AlterG. Extended exercise restores optimal functioning faster.
Conditions that improve with the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill
Virtually any musculoskeletal injury or problem with your lower limbs can improve by exercising on the AlterG, including:
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Total hip or knee joint replacement
- ACL reconstruction
- Post-fracture repair
- Achilles tendon reconstruction
- Stress fractures
- Ankle sprains
- Meniscus repair
- Plantar fasciitis
The AlterG antigravity treadmill also supports gentle strength and balance training in the elderly and improves motor ability in patients with a neurological injury or disorder such as Parkinson’s disease.
To learn how you can recover more quickly with an antigravity treadmill, call our office or book a consultation online today.