AIM:
To train walking by assisting the swinging leg on a treadmill
Rationale:
Whole-task training is set up on the treadmill so the patient can practice walking with manual guidance from the therapist and body-weight support using an overhead harness. Task-related training is structured so that flexibility of performance is encouraged, ie, the cognitive and/or physical demands of the activity are increased.
Equipment:
- Treadmill + magnetic safety key
- Harness (not shown on video)
- Stool
- Shoelaces/ pillowcase/theraband
- Sling (if necessary)
Key Points:
- Patient is positioned in standing on the treadmill, feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, trunk, hips and knees extended
- Up to 30% bodyweight support is provided by an overhead harness (not shown on video)
- Therapist is positioned to the side of the patient and provides manual guidance during swing phase (and stance phase if necessary)
- The first step is taken with the intact leg
- Ensure the magnetic safety key is attached to the patient
Common Errors:
- Therapist’s instructions and manual guidance are not synchronized
Progression and Variety:
- Decrease/remove manual guidance (shown on video)
- Increase speed of treadmill (shown on video)
- Increase incline of treadmill
- Increase cognitive demand