New Treadmill Helps Physical Therapy Patients Defy Gravity

You might recall a blog post on how The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute is helping NASA investigate the effects of space travel on astronauts. As if this project isn’t cool enough,  it will also probably lead to the development of medical technology doctors can use on Earth.

You might recall a blog post on how The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute is helping NASA investigate the effects of space travel on astronauts. As if this project isn’t cool enough,  it will also probably lead to the development of medical technology doctors can use on Earth.

I’ll admit I’ve been pretty excited about this project and am eager to see what we find.

This now leads me to the reason for this blog post …

The other day, when I was down at Sinai Hospital’s orthopedic physical therapy wing, Physical Therapist Erin Baker introduced me to the new AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill. I immediately became intrigued when I found out that this device uses NASA technology. (The name of the treadmill alone makes me think of flying cars and cities on the moon.)

It looks like an ordinary treadmill, except for the waist-high air bag at its front. The bag wraps around the patient while he or she is on the treadmill. When the bag is inflated, the patient is lifted off the treadmill, enabling him or her  to “defy gravity” while walking or running.

It has been a tremendous new tool for our team. Erin explains more about its benefits.