I thought this was a very cool concept when I read about it. It’s a new treadmill-like machine that is slightly modified that can be found in high tech rehabilitation centers that helps stroke victims and others with brain injuries that has impaired their motor functions for things like, say, walking, by helping to stimulate the part of the brain that is responsible for movement and coordination.

How does it do this? Well the traditional treadmill that I’m sure you’ve all used at least once in your life if you find yourself reading this blog, works by having one uniform pad that moves constantly, and mimics the movements that one makes when they are walking by providing a moving platform that allows them to move without actually going anywhere. Wow, that sounds ridiculous in concept when you say it out loud, doesn’t it?

Here’s how this modified treadmill works for rehabilitation. The belt is actually split in two, so each of your feet is forced to walk at different speeds. The additional brain stimulation that it takes for you to actually not fall down and coordinate each of your feet so you stay at an even pace is what helps to rehabilitate that mind and rebuild coordination in those that have had brain damage that otherwise would not allow them to walk, move, or coordinated to do certain movements correctly.

I saw a picture of the treadmill, and it looks like exactly what it is explained as : a treadmill like the Proform treadmill or Horizon treadmill would look in your gym, but only with two separate smaller belts, instead of one bigger, wider belt. I don’t even know if I could do this properly, not having any type of brain injury, so I don’t envy those that have to try this without falling.

Supposedly there are separate nerve pathways that operate each leg, so the thought process is that if each leg can be forced to walk normally, this can help rehabilitate the patient’s walking patterns without them lurching backwards and forwards, as is common in those with brain injuries. The challenge for them is that they have to figure out how to get patients to keep walking normally after they do not have access to the special treadmill any more.

Hopefully they can figure this out, because this machine seems nothing short of ingenious for those that cannot walk and perform motor functions, something that would be beyond frustrating to anyone I’m sure.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 11th, 2007 at 10:47 am and is filed under Treadmill Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.