One of the leading causes of long-term disability in the United States is stroke, affecting approximately 3% of males and 2% of females. Two of the most common complications post stroke include gait instability and falls [2]. Current clinical practice guidelines on locomotor function developed by the American Physical Therapy Association recommend that moderate to […]
Topics in NeuroRehabilitation: Episode 29. Kyle Whaley, BScPT, BPHE, CAFCI, Owner, Executive Director and practicing clinician at Propel Physiotherapy. Kyle graduated from Queen’s University Physical and Health Education Program in 1998 and began his career in strength and conditioning with an active population including athletes from a variety of sports. After graduating from the Physical […]
An unfortunate reality after spinal cord injury is dependence on a wheelchair for mobility.1 A lifetime of wheelchair use however is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a decrease in social participation as well as reduced Quality of Life (QoL). Dr. Van Nes and collogues believe that exoskeleton assisted walking in this population contributes to a […]
Gait Training for Stroke Patients One of the main impairments impacting the ambulatory ability of individuals recovering from stroke is a loss of propulsive force on the affected (paretic) limb. The ReStore Exo-suit was designed with this in mind, to improve paretic propulsion training in individuals recovering from stroke by providing mechanical assistance during plantarflexion […]
By nature as humans, we all want to succeed or to “win” at whatever it is we are doing. When we see a goal achieved OR even if we expect the goal to be achieved, the “reward system” in the brain is activated, releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine, aka the “feel-good hormone” or “pleasure chemical,” […]
Hear from Arielle Resnick, PT, DPT, NCS, Advanced Clinical Specialist and Program Director for the Neuro Residency at Kessler Institute as she discusses the importance of targeted efforts towards improved cardiovascular fitness post stroke. She takes a deep dive into Behavior Modification and Exercise Prescription in the neurologic population and shows an inspiring video by […]
Stroke is currently the leading cause of acquired disability in the U.S. and internationally, with more than 795,000 strokes per year. This includes 610,000 new strokes and 185,000 recurrent episodes. With the increasingly younger age of patients disabled by stroke and the overall aging population, effective rehabilitation treatments are an ever-present need. After a stroke, […]
Last year ReWalk Robotics began a distribution partnership with MYOLYN for their user friendly FES bike, the Myocycle. During that time we had to as a team dig into the PT school vault for those fond memories of modalities class to refresh which each FES parameter represents and how it affects treatment decisions. Hear from […]
Watch this highlighted clip to hear from Franchino Porciuncula, EdD, PT, DScPT as he describes the enhanced gains in gait speed and distance when training in physical therapy with the addition of the ReStore Exo-Suit. He notes that the impressive gains seen occurred after only two weeks of training. You can learn more about the ReStore Exo-Suit here. This […]
This robotic exoskeleton was designed with the goal of allowing people to stand and walk within the home and community after sustaining a spinal cord injury. While the device does just that, there are a few physical and functional prerequisites that must be met beforehand to ensure patient success and safety. Indications The ReWalk is intended for use on people […]
Hear from Dr. Christopher Cirnigliaro, Ph.D., CEP, CBDT, Senior Research Coordinator at the VA RR&D National Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, NY as he discusses recent research examining bone health after SCI. Learn about the current methods being utilized […]
The more we learn about, and strive to incorporate the principles of neuroplasticity, the more as neurorehab professionals we realize the importance of maximizing massed practice within our treatment plans. When working with patients post stroke, their immense potential for recovery heightens the importance of our role in helping create treatment environments which meet this […]
Post-stroke there are a vast array of impairments upon which a rehab specialist can focus their time and attention, but none are more important to patients and their caregivers than the return of ambulatory independence and upper extremity function. At ReWalk Robotics it has been our mission to help patients restore lower extremity mobility after […]
Watch this highlighted clip to hear from Kathleen O’Donnell as she takes us through an exercise to help us understand the relationships between ankle plantarflexion, trailing limb angle, and forward propulsion in the gait cycle, and highlights why it is so important to retrain for effective propulsion symmetry in patients post-stroke. These principles are the […]
In this highlight video Matt Giffhorn, PT, DPT, NCS from the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab answers one of the questions we hear a lot: “How can I maximize the benefits of an Exoskeleton or an Exo-Suit to make sure I continue to progress and challenge my neuro rehab patients?”
What’s new in the world of Spinal Cord Stimulation research? Watch this month’s episode of Topics in NeuroRehabilitation to hear from Dr. Rebecca Martin, OTR/L, OTD from the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute as she discusses recent research examining the use and feasibility of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) […]
How many steps per day do patients typically take in locomotor training programs? (Hint: not as many as we would like!) Hear from Dr. Esquenazi, CMO of MossRehab, as he discusses the key principles and limitations of traditional locomotor training programs in neurorehabilitation, and the reasons he feels robotics for rehabilitation are an ideal tool […]
A spinal cord injury frequently results in a loss of core and postural muscle control, leaving many therapists and their patients looking for ways to help improve balance after SCI. After an injury people need to re-learn how to use their remaining innervated muscles for postural control to maintain balance in various positions during functional […]
Do you have clients with spinal cord injuries who would benefit from access to a personal exoskeleton, but aren’t sure how to help them “take the next step”? Hear from Kathryn Vaughn, PT, DPT, as she talks through the pathway to personal exoskeleton ownership for individuals with spinal cord injury and highlights how the ReWalk […]