Lovelace
UNM Rehabilitation Hospital now offers the
ZeroG® Gait and Balance System that will help
advance rehabilitation outcomes for patients.
ZeroG is a robotic body-weight support system
that offers fall protection and dynamic
bodyweight support as patients
practice
functional activities such as overground
walking, sit-to-stand, getting off the floor and
stairs. Individuals with neurological,
orthopedic and other balance disorders may
benefit from using ZeroG throughout their
therapy program.
Lovelace
UNM Rehabilitation Hospital is the first
facility in Albuquerque to have this advanced
technology.
“ZeroG
gives our patients the safety and confidence to
practice functional, real-world balance and
walking activities. We are extremely excited to
offer this state-of-the-art technology, which
differentiates our hospital as a leader in
quality care,” said Derrick Jones, CEO of
Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital. “ZeroG
will protect our patients from falling and
compensates for weakness and poor coordination,
which we believe will help accelerate therapy
and maximize outcomes.”
ZeroG
can be used for patients up to 450 pounds and
monitors an individual’s movements from above on
a ceiling track while providing fall protection
and dynamic body-weight support. Dynamic
body-weight support can be set to offload the
person’s weight by up to 200 pounds making them
feel lighter in a “reduced gravity “environment.
This allows them to practice therapy at
high-intensity levels soon after an injury. As
the individual progresses, the amount of dynamic
support can be decreased so the person does more
under their own capabilities. And because ZeroG
protects them from a fall, individuals are
encouraged to push their limits without the fear
of falling and have the confidence to push
further than they would have without
ZeroG.
In
addition to being used while training in
activities of daily living, ZeroG features
biofeedback for balance activities and
interactive games, making therapy fun, yet
challenging, while increasing motivation and
encouraging participation. It also records data
from each training session so therapists can
monitor functional
progress. |