Progressing partial weight-bearing on an anti-gravity treadmill

How an anti-gravity treadmill unloads the body

An anti-gravity treadmill seals the patient into a pressurised chamber from the waist down. Raising the air pressure inside the chamber lifts the body, reducing the share of body weight carried through the legs. Systems such as the AERO RUNNER Anti-Gravity Series let the clinician set the level of body-weight support precisely and change it during a session.

Why unloading helps

Reducing load lets a patient walk or run with a more natural pattern earlier than they could at full body weight, while the clinician controls exactly how much load the joints and tissues take. Because the support is even and adjustable, load can be increased in small, measurable steps.

Principles for progression

• Start from the weight-bearing order. Follow the limits set by the referring surgeon or the clinical protocol for the condition.
• Change one variable at a time. Progress body-weight percentage, speed, incline or duration separately, so you can see what the patient tolerates.
• Let gait quality lead. Increase load when the patient can walk with a symmetrical, controlled pattern, not only when they report no pain.
• Watch the response after the session. Pain, swelling and fatigue later that day or the next day are as important as how the session felt.
• Record each session. Note body-weight support, speed, incline, duration and the patient's response, so progression is consistent between clinicians.

Measuring progress

Many systems display or record gait data such as step length, cadence and left-right symmetry. Tracking these alongside the body-weight setting gives an objective picture of progress and helps when reporting to surgeons or insurers.

Next step

TRIMAX supplies, installs and services the AERO RUNNER range in Malaysia and trains your team on its use. Book a demonstration to see it with your own caseload in mind.

This article describes general principles only. Weight-bearing progression must be decided by a qualified clinician for each patient, following the referring surgeon's instructions and the manufacturer's instructions for use.