| Physical therapy helps sufferers of a variety | | | | changing that. The advantage robotic therapy |
| of ailments to maintain or improve | | | | has over human therapy is constancy. It's |
| functionality of the body. Physical | | | | very difficult for a human therapist to take |
| therapists work to prevent, treat, and | | | | the time necessary to make true strides in |
| rehabilitate patients with physical problems | | | | improving a patient's mobility. Robots, |
| and reduced mobility. There are a large | | | | however, never tire, slow, or change pace-- |
| number of physical therapy treatments out | | | | of course, the repetitive motions needed in |
| there, and the right one for you depends on | | | | order to properly work the affected parts of |
| your specific condition. Physical therapists | | | | body of the stroke victim don't affect a |
| treat patients for anything from headaches | | | | machine. In addition, robotic therapists |
| and back pain to spina bifida and chronic | | | | generally have bio-feedback mechanisms. These |
| obstructive pulmonary disease-- as well as | | | | mechanisms help to increase improvement in |
| helping many other patients to recover as | | | | the affected parts of the body. Some robotic |
| much mobility as possible after an accident | | | | therapists are even designed to act as both |
| or other event. There's been a lot of talk | | | | coach and therapist, using jokes, humor, and |
| lately in the health care community about | | | | encouragement to help patients get though the |
| physical therapy robots. Because of this, you | | | | long and tiring process of physical therapy. |
| may be wondering which is better, robotic | | | | Human Therapy While strides are being made in |
| (mechanical) physical therapy or physical | | | | the field of robotic therapy, and robotic |
| therapy done by human therapists. The answer | | | | therapists will at some point be available to |
| is neither. A human therapist is always | | | | help with many conditions, human therapists |
| necessary when embarking on a long term | | | | are and will always be necessary. For most |
| physical therapy program, no matter your | | | | conditions, a human therapist is your only |
| condition. However, studies done with hundred | | | | option. However, even if using robotic |
| of stroke victims show that robotic therapy | | | | therapy, you must have a human therapist in |
| definitely has a place in the future of | | | | order to diagnose your movement problems and |
| physical therapy-- a very important place. | | | | develop a long-term strategy for treating |
| Robotic Therapy Robotic Physical therapy is a | | | | them. It's also necessary to visit human |
| brand new field. Discoveries and inventions | | | | therapists to evaluate progress and make |
| have been made in places like MIT that have | | | | further plans for both human and robotic |
| had some very promising results on stroke | | | | therapy. |
| victims. Victims of a stroke are generally | | | | |
| weeks, months, even years in physical | | | | Source 1 Medical provides a wide variety of |
| therapy. Even though many attempts are made | | | | physical therapy supplies, ultrasound |
| to return mobility to them, most stroke | | | | equipment, massage therapy tables and medical |
| victims make no real visible improvements in | | | | and rehabilitation products. |
| mobility. Robotic therapists, however, are | | | | |