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