Body Coaches at our TB12 Performance and Recovery Centers utilize an incredible piece of technology known as an AlterG to help our clients live and perform pain-free. These devices are Anti-Gravity Treadmills. And no, this isn’t science fiction.
How Anti-Gravity Treadmills Work
The AlterG treadmill uses NASA-based anti-gravity technology to allow for partial weight bearing while walking or running. This means that clients can walk or exercise with a fraction of their body weight, ranging anywhere from 20% to 100%. This is a beneficial tool that allows for a more efficient and effective rehab process and enables clients to get better, faster.
Post-Surgery Rehab
Following surgery, many clients have weight-bearing restrictions. The AlterG Treadmill allows Body Coaches to safety progress clients from week to week with an objective measurement of weight, speed, distance, and duration.
Tracking progress is straightforward, since clients can start at 50% weight bearing and progress by 10% each week. If a client can walk or run sooner, even at partial weight, the AlterG can help decrease swelling, prevent muscular atrophy, and improve their overall outcomes.
Controlling and reducing the load through the joints also decreases the risk of future injury. Additionally, because the client is secured into the treadmill, there is minimal risk of falling or losing balance. This builds clients' confidence and helps to create better neuromuscular patterns while retraining their brain and muscles on how to walk and run.
Musculoskeletal and Neurological Rehab
In the same vein, the AlterG can be a useful tool for recovery from both musculoskeletal and neurological injuries. Post-operative musculoskeletal conditions that can benefit include ACL reconstruction, lateral ankle ligament reconstruction, hip labrum repair, total hip replacement, total knee replacement, lumbar laminectomy, and lumbar discectomy.
Specific injuries or conditions such as plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, patella tendinitis, IT band syndrome, and osteoarthritis, among others, can also benefit from unweighted training.
Body coaches may also use the AlterG treadmill for recovery from neurological conditions such as a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or Parkinson’s disease. Using the AlterG, the Body Coach can teach gait mechanics and help clients retrain some movement patterns essential for walking or running.
The Bottom Line
At TB12, we're always on the forefront of rehab and injury prevention. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill is one of the tools we commonly use in our centers when working with athletes and clients of all ages.
AlterG Treadmill training, along with the hands-on deep force manual therapy, functional strength and conditioning, and a holistic lifestyle, leads to faster recovery times and improved outcomes.
