Here at VIM Health, we offer a unique approach to walking rehabilitation. Aside from traditional therapies and exercise, we provide a range of state-of-the-art technologies to help clients regain lower limb function.
In this blog, we’re going to outline how we carry out intensive walking rehabilitation by using the THERA-Trainer Lyra to enhance gait training.
What Is Gait Training?
Gait training is a type of physical therapy that aims to help an individual stand and walk. It is commonly used to help sufferers of neurological disorders that have lost function in their lower limbs.
It is also used to help those that have experienced a neurological injury, such as a stroke or acquired brain injury, that has impacted the brain’s ability to control the lower limbs.
Gait training includes highly intensive repetitive movements that mimic the natural walking pattern. These repetitive walking movements aim to facilitate neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity enables the brain to create new connections and regain control of body functions. It does this through the practice of repetitive movements.
Aside from enabling neuroplasticity, gait training increases muscle strength and flexibility in the lower limbs whilst improving cardiovascular fitness, coordination and balance.
What Is The THERA-Trainer Lyra?
Lyra is a robotic gait trainer that was designed based on the scientifically established principles that repetitive high-intensity gait training increases a patient’s ability to walk by 20% when compared to traditional therapies.
It offers intensive gait training for each phase of rehabilitation, enabling the user to regain their ability to walk.
How Does It Work?
Lyra features two metal foot plates that hold the feet in place and replicates the natural walking pattern. It also offers full body weight support with the help of a comfortable harness, making it possible to provide safe gait training to those who cannot stand or walk at all unaided.
The THERA-Trainer Lyra is the only gait trainer in the world that provides the option for all training data and logs to be sent directly to a smart device, which can be accessed by a therapist.
At 4 km/h and 100 steps per minute, Lyra is also the fastest gait trainer on the market. It enables the user to achieve 40 times more steps per session than they would with treadmill training or manual walking practice.
Who Was It Designed For?
The THERA-Trainer Lyra can help people who are not yet walking, or people who are on their feet but need to improve their gait to enable them to walk safely unaided.
This includes anyone that is recovering from a neurological injury that has impacted the lower limb function, such as a stroke, acquired brain injury or spinal cord injury.
Lyra is also used to improve the gait of those who struggle with lower limb function due to a neurological disorder. This includes Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Cerebral Palsy.
Key Benefits Of The THERA-Trainer Lyra
Losing the function of the lower limbs, whether partially or completely, can be life-changing. Without mobility, an individual loses their independence and freedom.
But with walking rehabilitation from VIM Health, it is possible to regain lower limb function and re-learn how to walk. And the THERA-Trainer Lyra plays a huge part in this rehabilitation. Key benefits of the Lyra include:
- Provides controlled cardiovascular training
- Regain walking ability
- Improves natural gait pattern
- Improves coordination
- Increases walking speed
- Strengthen leg muscles
- Provides safe gait training, even for those who cannot stand or walk
- Offers a quick and effective way to re-learn walking (4 km/h and 100 steps per minute)
- Requires minimal set-up
- Easy to use
- Recognises the training intensity and individual activity level of each user
- Provides the opportunity to log and save training data, which can be accessed via an app
- Offers 20 times more repetitions per session than treadmill-based or manual gait training
Want To Find Out More?
The THERA-Trainer Lyra is one of many innovative technologies used by the specialist team of therapies at VIM Health. We are proud to be a specialist provider of neurological and muscular-skeletal healthcare (MSK) services.
The VIM Health team combines traditional, hands-on therapies with cutting-edge technology, including rehabilitation robotics and VR to help you reach your full potential.
Want to find out more? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with VIM Health today.
