20 Ways Technology Has Revolutionized Physical Therapy
January 9, 2012 | Physcial Therapy, Technology
Stroke victims, the elderly, and returning war veterans all provide grounds for rehabilitative experimentation. Many of the technologies created for stroke victims also can be used for any brain or spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, or the onset of aging. Other tools don’t require computers, but help to aid the injured or disabled with simple tasks. Other aids, such as prosthetic devices, are so sophisticated that they react to messages from the brain. Applications that patients can use in their homes are becoming popular, especially when patients can communicate with their physical therapists without leaving the house. These technologies, among others, are important to an aging population facing an increased need for care along with rising health costs.
Researchers and designers have used technology for rehabilitation purposes for decades. But, now that computer and wireless technology is more ubiquitous, less expensive to develop, and more mobile, the physical therapy world has benefited. Also known as “disruptive technologies,” some of the following tools and aids are cheaper, simpler, smaller, and more convenient to use. Not all of these aids are inexpensive…but they all have revolutionized physical therapy.
Stroke, Brain Injury, and Aging
- Armeo Therapy Concept is based upon the theory that the brain’s neural plasticity is retained and new connections can be made through intensive, repetitive, and task-oriented movements in stroke or traumatic brain injury patients. The robotic arms created by Armeo help that process. Exercises are self-initiated, self-directed, functional and intense. Even severely impaired patients can practice independently, without a therapist’s presence.
- Lasers & light-emitting diodes for stroke victims is paired with muscle/bone/joint/soft tissue therapy called muscle recovery. Muscle recovery ensures that the muscles are strong enough and realigned with nerves for correct movement. A 2006 study that showed low-level laser therapy “significantly reduced neurological deficits” in stroke-induced rats. Low-level light therapy is FDA approved, but not for stroke rehabilitation purposes.
- Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) is an innovative and clinically-proven method for improving voice and speech. This therapy development now includes effective treatments for speech communication (LSVT LOUD) and physical/occupational therapy (LSVT BIG) needs of individuals who suffer from strokes, Parkinson’s disease, aging issues, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. While treatments are physical, this therapy comes with videos and companion software.
- The Bioness NESS L300 is a wireless electronic device for patients with neurological damage such as a stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, or spinal-cord injury. This device uses low levels of electrical stimulation to treat medical conditions affecting different parts of the central nervous system, enabling its users to walk and climb stairs.
Surgery, Amputation, and Prostheses
- Shape-Matching Technology takes knee surgery to the next level. Prior to surgery, patients are required to undergo an MRI scan and routine x-ray examination of their knee. Then, using sophisticated 3-D software, the information obtained from the images is utilized in the manufacturing of custom cutting guides. Because these guides are built based on the anatomy of each patient individually, they allow for more accurate bone cuts and optimizing the size and placement of the prosthesis.
- The X-2 model legs are getting a workout at Balboa Park hospital on Sgt. Collin Raaz, the first bilateral amputee to try these high-tech prosthetic devices. The new leg moves more naturally than the previous C-Leg model. It has a gyroscope and modes for jogging and other activities. Next up is the X-3, a fully waterproof prosthetic for use in showers or for standing in the surf.
- Dean Kamen’s “Luke” arm was funded on a grant from the Department of Defense’s DARPA research agency. This is a highly sophisticated, highly functional prosthetic arm for injured soldiers returning from the Middle East. A less-than-eight-pound prosthetic arm with such precision and control that it can peel a grape. This arm currently is in FDA clinical trials.
Rehab Tools
- FORCE TherEx provides a platform for physical therapy patients to use at home. It allows therapists to convey exercise instruction to patients, along with patient compliance monitoring and a comprehensive video exercise library.
- NoMoreClipBoard promises users the ability to compile, manage, and share medical records quickly and easily. A recent collaborative agreement with iMPak Health, LLC now develops IT solutions that combine easy-to-use electronic home healthcare journals and various health screening devices. This technology allows patients to monitor their own physical therapy progress or to report health symptoms.
- Redcord is a training and rehabilitation tool that uses body weight and slings as suspension exercise. This company also created Neurac (Neuromuscular Activation), a treatment method that affects musculoskeletal disorders, and is based on well documented principles within training and active therapy.
- SKOTEE can recognize patients’ faces while helping them with an assortment of functions. The robot works with a large joystick-like device that patients use to strengthen and exercise their arm muscles. It also can remind patients about medications and appointments. If they don’t do the task, SKOTEE will remind them later and update their occupational therapists.
- TEC Thermoelectric Cooling System is the only ice-less cold therapy compression/deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis machine available that also provides heat. It is used after surgery and in rehab to reduce edema and pain.
Gaming It
- Interactive video games show promise for physical therapy patients in intensive care units (ICU), according to Johns Hopkins. The patients in this study were mostly males aged 32-64, and were admitted to the medical ICU as a result of health problems, such as respiratory failure, sepsis, and cardiovascular issues.
- Measuring gait with the Kinect device may help therapists and clinicians and prosthetists when not only fitting prostheses, but also helping people with therapy and rehabilitation. Two high-school boys from TN modified Microsoft’s Xbox 360′s Kinect device to analyze human gait. They tracked the hip, the knee and the ankle and, just by tracking those three points, they were able to find the knee angle.
- Virtual worlds might help children acclimate to a therapeutic environment, or build their confidence and help re-socialize them after a traumatic injury or illness. Researchers are building and testing these worlds in the Circle-Vision theater, unveiled at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition’s Bell Pavilion in Montreal.
- Wii-style video games show benefits for Parkinson’s Disease patients. Developed by the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing and Red Hill Studios, an educational games startup, nine games improve coordination by using the patient’s body as the game controller. The games were installed in patients’ homes, and the system sent data to the research team to track the performance of each subject on a daily basis.
Adaptive Aids
- EZ Sox is a technical solution that doesn’t require a huge learning curve or computers. As an aid for adults or children, two “Stix” pull up socks that contain built-in loops at the top. Perfect for individuals with arthritis, pregnant moms, or anyone else who has difficulty with this simple necessity.
- Gloves for Life is a simple tool created by a mother and her quadriplegic son to use for propelling a manual wheelchair. These inexpensive suede gloves use rubber palm inserts that can be replaced as they wear out.
- The GSL Artira Wheelchair Lift is the answer to historic district buildings or multilevel offices or residences that don’t provide elevators. This tool is designed to fit stairways that are narrow, and it folds up, requiring little dedicated space. This is the answer to many buildings that currently don’t meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance accessibility standards.
- The iBot is a self-balancing, stair-climbing wheelchair for the physically disabled. Using self-balancing technology similar to that found in the Segway, the iBot aims to change this by giving wheelchair-bound individuals the freedom to navigate any terrain. In short, this is the ATV of wheelchairs. The iBot is currently not in production, but the means to restore its manufacture are in the works.