Southern Rehab has a new anti-gravity treadmill that rehab patients, athletes and fitness enthusiasts will all love. Once only available to astronauts, Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady, it’s the ultimate recovery tool and it’s now in LaGrange- The AlterG® treadmill.
The AlterG® treadmill uses NASA patented technology to counteract the effects of gravity and its impact on the body. It allows the user to walk and run with much less pressure on the hips, knees and ankles – to the point where there’s almost no gravitational force. Without gravity, the user can feel as if s/he weighs up to 80 percent less so it creates a safe and pain-free environment to achieve your goals.
NASA first developed the idea in the ‘90s as a way to train astronauts to adapt to a weightless environment in space. Recognizing the potential benefit for those outside NASA, the scientist eventually created a treadmill that does the opposite – it removes the feeling of body weight. The world’s best athletes and their trainers took notice. In 2013, Kobe Bryant was famously photographed running on an AlterG® within months after horrifically tearing his Achilles tendon. Soon, the machine was added to the training programs of most NFL, MLB, NBA and elite college athletic teams. Now, they use it to not only speed recovery but also to increase performance without all of the pounding on their legs.
For physical therapy and sports medicine, it serves two purposes:
- It relieves pain and pressure on rehab patients while they’re recovering from injuries. For those who have undergone a joint replacement or are trying to heal a sprain or break, it’s painful to put weight on the injured area. The AlterG counteracts that, reducing body weight until all discomfort is removed. This creates a much more comfortable (even fun) environment for physical therapy to take place and recovery can happen sooner.
- For healthy athletes, it can increase their edge. They can train at a higher speed or distance without the risk of injury and push their physical limits in a controlled environment.
The Art of Unweighting With the AlterG® Treadmill
Sometimes athletes add weights to build endurance. In therapy and training, we find that the reverse can also be true. Unweighting reduces the gravity load and pressure on the athlete or patient so he or she can move like never before. You know the saying “light on your feet”? The AlterG® treadmill uses a differential air pressure technique to literally take the weight off. One person described the feeling as “running on clouds.”
Benefits
- • no risk of falling – removes one of the biggest fears after surgery/injury
- empowers patients to move pain-free, limiting
down time after surgery/injury - protects healing tissues and joints by putting no pressure on them
- ideal to help neurological patients (Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke) improve walking mechanics in a safe environment
- can help correct gait patterns, if someone is favoring a leg (the
more sore you are, the more likely you are overcompensating) - great for any age and level of conditioning
- improves confidence and range of motion
- improves endurance and performance
- helps anyone who is deconditioned (i.e., seniors or overweight patients) by making exercise easy
- prevents over-use injuries
Better Than Aquatic Therapy:
- no risk of infection at incision site from water
- easier to move around at a more normal gait
- more precise unweighting than water
- no need for harnesses
- no need to get wet or wear a swimsuit
“AlterG® anti-gravity treadmills can only be found in about 4,000 locations worldwide – mostly Olympic and pro athlete training facilities. We have the only one in a 75-mile radius and it’s right here in our LaGrange office,” said Dr. Josh McGinty.
Are you ready to experience the AlterG® Treadmill?
Make an appointment today to see this revolutionary machine that was once only available to pro athletes.