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