11/16/2010
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HCAM Business Matters interviews James Casady
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3/1/2010
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| Alter-G Treadmill White Paper |
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By James L. Casady, MPT, President
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| Introduction |
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People need access to decreased weight-bearing environments
for a variety of reasons including post-surgical rehabilitation, marathon
training, and physical therapy.
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| Problem Statement |
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Options are extremely limited for anyone looking for this
kind of environment.
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| Previous Options |
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Pool therapy has long been accepted as the only solution for
those people with special weight-bearing considerations. Access to public swimming pools, however, is limited by location and schedule. The
overall time required is also much greater because of the prep time before and
after pool usage. A public swimming pool
is not a controlled environment for those with weight-bearing restrictions
because of fluctuations in water temperature, fluctuations in the chemical concentrations present in the water, and ‘slip and fall’ dangers at the entry/exit points.
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| Hopkinton Physical Therapy’s Solution |
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Fortunately technology is catching up and the new Alter-G
treadmill provides a great alternative to swimming pools.The Alter-G allows a weight-bearing environment of anywhere from 100% weight-bearing, as with regular treadmills, all the way down to 20% weight-bearing.
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| Benefit 1 |
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Post-surgical patients are allowed to work on their normal
gait pattern while staying within the medical weight-bearing restrictions set
by the surgeon.
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| Benefit 2 |
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Distance runners can utilize the treadmill for training
purposes with decreased stress-loads on their joints.
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| Benefit 3 |
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Physical therapy for these populations can now take place in
a more controlled environment on land simply by pulling on a specialized pair
of shorts.
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| Implementation |
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Hopkinton Physical Therapy (parent company Ashland Physical
Therapy & Sports Medicine, Inc.) purchased an Alter-G treadmill in January
of 2010.
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| Summary |
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There is now an efficient and effective alternative to pool
rehabilitation for injured patients and athletes who have special
weight-bearing considerations.
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