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.
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