Alter-g

You may be asking yourself, what on earth is an Alter-G and how can it help me?  The Alter-G is a treadmill that uses air pressure to unload an individual up to 80% of their body weight. It is used to speed up the recovery time in patient injuries ranging from full joint replacement to minor sprains and muscle strains. By unloading the body it put less stress on the individual’s joints and musculoskeletal system and allows for faster healing from lower extremity injuries.

This works in theory with Wolff’s law which states that bone in a healthy person will adapt to the loads that are placed upon it. If the load increase on a bone, it will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that load. The same applies to your muscular system.

If you are recovering from a strain/ sprain or are a post-surgical patient, you are most likely unable to do weight bearing activities. This is where the Alter-G comes in. We are able to unweight the individual so that they are pain free with movement and their bodies can withstand the altered load placed on it. The Alter-G allows us to add weight to the patient gradually over time which allows for a faster healing time through better adaptation to the load and stress placed upon the body.

Think of it this way, if I am trying to move/run with an injury and I have all the weight of my body plus the force of gravity impacting that injured point, my body never has a chance to adapt successfully. The “wear and tear” is too great. Now if I am able to minimize the “wear and tear” it gives the body a better chance to heal and adapt to a lesser load.

We have seen tremendous results with using the Alter-G, not only dealing with lower extremities, but also in help with cardiovascular problems, weight loss, and gait reeducation. If you are experiencing any of the problems that we have listed in this article please feel free to stop by any Core Physical Medicine clinic near you and we would be more than happy to set up a custom treatment plan specific for your need and your injuries. Everybody and everybody is different, you deserve to take a look.