Treadmill Training Helps Post-Stroke Patients
By Rehab Management: Rehab Today,Publication Date: March 2007
Article focuses on the Lokomat from Hocoma, which is a treadmill with robot-driven leg supports that can help build muscle mass in people who have partial paralysis as the result of a stroke. The Lokomat was originally designed for treadmill training in people with paraplegia, as the device is fully adjustable in force, body weight support, and speed. Research has been conducted with 30 people who had suffered a stroke, each of whom was assigned to 30 minutes of robotic treadmill training and conventional physiotherapy each day, or only 30-minute sessions of conventional physiotherapy twice each day. After four weeks, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in terms of walking ability, though the Lokomat group were able to stand for significantly longer periods of time on their affected leg. Additionally, the participants in the Lokomat group lost 6.4 pounds of fat mass, while they gained 7.4 pounds of muscle mass. The group that participated in conventional physiotherapy increased their body mass by 2.9 pounds, most of which was fat mass. Implications for multicenter trials with the Lokomat are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: LOKOMATPRO (VERSIONS 5 & 6)
Published by: Ascend Media LLC (Website:http://www.ascendmedia.com)
Link to text: http://www.rehabpub.com/RMN/2007-03-05_5.asp
