3 Benefits of AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmills For Lower Leg Injuries
Leave a CommentYou may be asking this question: what on earth is an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill?
AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmills are considered anti-gravity because they use innovative “Differential Air Pressure (DAP)” technology that counteracts gravitational forces, gently adjusting body weight from 100 percent down to as low as 20 percent.1
This process involves putting on specialized shorts that zip into a bubble structure over a treadmill. This bubble inflates with air and helps lift you from the treadmill to reduce pressure on your lower body. This treadmill is commonly used to help reduce pressure on the lower body while helping any person or athlete improve their walking or running form and endurance.
Now you may be asking this question: how can this piece of equipment help in your recovery from a lower leg injury?
Firstly, Anti-Gravity Treadmills can reduce impact forces in the knee joint.2,3 This has multiple implications with recovering from any knee injury and/or surgery. For example, some knee surgeries require you to delay your weight bearing to allow for proper healing. ACL injuries with bone bruises, meniscus repairs, microfracture procedures and cartilage replacement surgeries are common examples of conditions that can directly benefit from an AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.
Secondly, when recovering from a leg injury, Anti-Gravity Treadmills can speed up patients’ recovery. Multiple studies have presented accelerated protocols to advance their patient’s mobility.4-7 For example, when recovering from an ACL surgery, patients and athletes can have altered walking mechanics for anywhere from 3-4 weeks. When an AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is utilized during this time period, patients can walk farther with less impact on the knee and improve their neuromuscular control over time.
Lastly, Anti-Gravity Treadmills can keep patients and athletes in shape while recovering from an injury. Depending on the time of the year, some athletes need to stay in shape while recovering from injury. Say you are a soccer player recovering from an ankle sprain. You have full range of motion, close to full strength, but are struggling to run due to pain. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can allow you to run without putting you at risk for more pain that could delay recovery.
Keeping these concepts in mind, there is tremendous value to what the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can provide to those recovering from lower leg injuries. In order to truly understand how the AlterG can help you and your recovery, consult an Athletico physical therapist. They can help develop a progression plan to get you back to doing the things you love.
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
References:
1. Obtained from https://www.alterg.com/products/
2. Patil S, Steklov N, Bugbee W, Goldberg T, Colwell C, D’Lima D. Anti-gravity treadmills are effective in reducing knee forces. J Orthop Res. 2013 May;31(5):672-9.
3. Eastlack R, Hargens A, Groppo E, Steinbach G, White K, Pedowitz R. Lower body positive-pressure exercise after knee surgery. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2005 Feb;(431):213-9.
4. Wilk K, Macrina L, Leonard C, Reinold M. Rehabilitation following microfracture of the knee. 2010 Apr; 1(2): 96–107.
5. Wilk K, Macrina L, Cain L, Dugas J, Andrews J. Recent advances in the rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012 Mar;42(3):153-71.
6. Tenforde A, Wananabe L, Moreno T, Fredericson M. Use of an antigravity treadmill for rehabilitation of a pelvic stress injury. PM R. 2012 Aug;4(8):629-31
7. Saxena A, Granot A. Use of an anti-gravity treadmill in the rehabilitation of the operated achilles tendon: a pilot study. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2011 Sep-Oct;50(5):558-61.
