Hi Everyone!
Do any of you know of, or have used the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill or another brand? For those who are not familiar with it, I wish to share info about it and also share what I discovered today about myself thanks to it.
I am about 3 months post hip revision op and could not bear weight upon my new hip for 2 months due to extensive bone grafting needed, so just over the last four weeks I have begun walking.
Fortunately for me my physical therapy facility has an anti-gravity treadmill. It is the first time I had even heard of it. This treadmill seals you up air tight from the waist down using stretch shorts you slip on and zippers that join a sort of large air bag that surrounds the treadmill.
Once zippered, the machine weighs you and then nearly lifts you off your feet. The therapist chooses how much weight you should have upon your joints, then the machine calibrates and puts you down to begin to walk.
A video camera pointed at your feet allows you to watch yourself walk on a tv screen at eye level. And what I discovered about myself surprised me! My foot turns inward when I walk! This is new to my norm and I could not even notice it by just looking down at my feet while walking and frankly I was too busy watching my surroundings instead of my feet.
After THR's, we are all put into the position of re-teaching ourselves to walk with good posture and good heel to toe follow through. We must be careful to re-train properly. I even bought new walking shoes for after surgery so that I would not risk falling back into old walking patterns I developed from bad hips prior to surgery. We have only once chance to heal properly right?
It took soooo much effort to keep my foot from turning in, that after just 12 minutes on the treadmill, I had to go home and take a nap!
With our wonderful technological world, if you cannot find an anti-gravity treadmill, it might be of benefit to video your feet while walking just to be sure you are spot on and not developing a new bad habit.
💛 Dawn, USA
Am learning same, though non-tech. As a result of first 2 THRs, right foot faced inwards. Since 3rd, 4 weeks ago, realised surgeon must have re-rotated so foot faces forward.
V weird. Together with 4cms lengthening.
But a good thing. Realise that lots of work needs to be done on realigning my whole body.
Quite exciting, really.
E
I wonder if this is available on our NHS?
Yes it is exciting! You have sure been through so much and I pray you will continue to re-align!
When I was on the anti G treadmill this morning it took all my might to straighten out my foot. Now my knee hurts.
Neverending? Today it feels that way, but tomorrow this anemic battered body will have refreshed itself for another round. I am going to use the Anti-G treadmill 3 times a week.
Hugs E,
💛 Dawn
Some NHS hospitals have invested in them
Hi Dawn, There is an Alter G treadmill at the hospital where I had surgery. I have a physio appointment next week and will certainly find out more about it. Many thanks!
Patricia,
It would be worth checking into for sure! You can find it online to see what it looks like and maybe there are some there that you or others have seen but did not know what it was. Plus it could be called by a different brand name.
💛 Dawn
Hi Hipster
Which hospital is that please?
Linda xx
Great Hipster! Let us know what you think about it if and when you use it. The only drawback I can see is that our incisions need to be well healed because I suspect the pressure from the shorts and being lifted up could cause discomfort.
💛 Dawn
Spire Liverpool but they also have them at other Spire hospitals including Manchester and Edinburgh. They're also used by professional sports teams to rehabilitate players, so if you have local top flight football or rugby teams in your area there is likely to be one around.
Thanks so much for giving this information about anti gravity treadmill.
You are quite welcome Ginger! That's what we do best on here right? I owe this website and all the wonderful people on here who took the time to help me through my worst, a lot of giving back.
💛 Dawn
We don't have them here in Manhattan ks.
They have water treadmill.The water is above my chest. Walking behind slowly build through the treatment later they have jets of water at your chest. Which feels like it's going to blow me backwards.
The keys were you much for me.So the PT increased the TM to 3.0, without holding on the bar.I was actually jogging for 20 min.
You can watch your walking on the TV.
And afterwards really tired.
That sounds awesome too and afterwards is a great tired, is it not? Progress! I have not seen the kind you describe, but have always dreamed of owning one of those "Endless Pools" that has adjustable water force that allows one to walk, swim or run against the current all the while staying stationary. And at my own home!
Now to figure out a way to make my dream come true.....
Hugs
💛 Dawn
Thank you for the info. Even though I am around PT people all the time I had never heard of this. My husband and I have been going to Therapy for years and they do not have one. I have checked and found out who has them in our area. Hope I can try them. If I have to have the back surgery now that I talked about I will go there for physical Therapy. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is on You Tube and interesting to watch. We need more of them.
Hope all is well in Tennessee.
hiya Dawn,
sounds wonderful technology!
our brilliant and also free NHS service I don't think have this, and yet: all the money costs for the operation, it sort of makes huge sense the way you describe it for this machine post op to aid recovery too.
warm regards
Mic
x
______________
Glad you found one in your area Elaine! Hope you can use it too. I wanted to shout and tell the world about it! So I posted on here!
💛 Dawn
Mic, some have found them there. Keep looking. It takes the place of water with the added benefit of the different levels of controlling how much anti-gravity one needs.
😄
Hiya Dawn,
will do, but sadly not round here in Devon I think.
Just sounds mind blowing, like the NASA space programme.
you lucky!
mic
xx