In recent years, treadmill therapy has been widely used for the gait rehabilitation of neurological and orthopedic patients. Treadmill therapy is part of the TheraSuit Therapy. Several clinical studies, as well as our own experience, have shown that neurological and orthopedic patients who received treadmill therapy improved their walking ability.
The Journey is the Goal
- Treadmill training, with or without body weight support, uses specialized equipment designed to assist walking. Passively supported gait therapy on the treadmill is a proven method for retraining movement patterns or correcting incorrect ones.
- The therapy is suitable for both severely and mildly impaired patients — especially stroke, accident patients, and patients with cerebral palsy. The benefits of the treadmill without weight support are particularly enjoyed by patients who can walk independently but have restricted walking ability. These patients strengthen their leg muscles and feel more secure while walking afterwards.
- The special harness used for support is applied to patients who cannot walk independently due to neurological impairments. Thanks to this harness, the patient is verticalized and foot imprint, knee extension, and hip mobilization are the focus of the therapy. Under the guidance of our therapists, the patient can concentrate fully on the movement process.
- Neurologists demonstrated that treadmill training also has an effect on the central nervous system using functional magnetic resonance imaging. It induced measurable changes in activity in the brainstem and cerebellum. The greater the change in activity, the more patients improved their walking speed through the training.
Goals of Gait Training
- Improvement of coordination and balance
- Weight bearing on the legs
- Enhancement and automation of the gait pattern
- Tone regulation in spasticity and hypotonia
Gait Training
- Improves stride length
- Increases speed
- Strengthens muscle groups
- Enhances reaction speed
