The “Weight” is Over, Anti-Gravity Treadmills Are Here

While anti-gravity machines may sound like something from a movie, the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is exactly that – a treadmill that uses anti-gravity technology to help patients restore normal walking and running mechanics while also supporting the healing tissue. It can be used to assist in recovery from fractures, stress fractures, knee or hip surgery or replacement, as well as for weight loss.

In the AlterG system, users gently “unweight” themselves with positive air pressure, reducing gravitational forces on the body and allowing for a greater level of comfort and mobility. This NASA-based technology can take patients to as low as 20% of their body weight and can be used for patients across a broad spectrum of injuries and at different fitness levels.

What patients (or injuries) can be helped with the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill?

Patients with general debility or deconditioning issues, endurance athletes with lower body injuries (ankle injuries, patellar tendonitis, quadriceps tendonitis, hamstring strain, hip flexor strain) or post-operative patients (ACL/meniscus/Achilles repair) may benefit from using the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.

What type of feedback do patients usually provide after using the AlterG?

Typical responses to using the treadmill include “It feels good being able to train without pain!”, “I can go further or longer before experiencing discomfort.”, “I’m finally able to walk normally!”.

How do you determine what amount to de-weight me?

Your physical therapist will guide the amount of de-weighting by your pain tolerance, expected tolerance level and working with your physician’s protocol to find the most beneficial weight for your body type, injury and point in time in your treatment plan.

Excela Health currently has Alter G Treadmills at Outpatient Therapy Clinics located within Excela Square at Latrobe and Excela Square at Norwin. The treadmills are used as a part of a patient’s treatment plan and are not available to the general public. If you think this could be an option for you, please speak with your primary care physician or the physical therapist you are currently working with.