Using ZeroG after a Spinal Cord Stroke

Source: Lincoln Journal Star

The gym is a familiar place to Francis “Tito” Vigan, a personal trainer and nutrition coach. For the past 10 years, he’s spent much of his time prepping for bodybuilding competitions.

But on March 6, his 34th birthday, his usual morning workout flipped his world upside down. He was training for a competition and during his first exercise of bent-over rows, he felt a burning sensation in his lower back.  Thinking he had torn something, Vigan went to stretch to ease the discomfort.  “I thought if I stretched it, it would just go away,” Vigan said. “It didn’t go away, the burning sensation just got stronger and stronger with every minute that passed by.”  Soon, he couldn’t feel his ankles anymore and was unable to bend his knees, eventually becoming paralyzed from the waist down. Vigan said it took about five days before doctors figured out that he’d had a rare stroke in his spinal cord.

Francis “Tito” Vigan walking in ZeroG.

On March 21, Vigan transitioned to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital and joined their specialized spinal cord injury program. He was told that surgery was not an option and physical therapy would be his “best bet.”   He stayed at Madonna for two months and required around-the-clock care, but quickly became accustomed to life in a wheelchair and often sped through the hospital hallways knocking things over.  In May, he transitioned to living at home and traveling to Madonna three times a week for three-hour therapy sessions. A month later, he was down to two 90-minute sessions per week.

“Sometimes it feels longer to me, but the truth is, it hasn’t been that long,” Vigan said.

Kelly Billings, his physical therapist, said his transition time has fallen within the typical timeframe of 30 to 60 days. However, his physical progress is where he thrives “because of his effort and motivation. He comes in and every week he’s got a new skill or he can show me something new he learned from therapy,” Billings said. “He does amazing. He takes what we do in therapy and takes that home and practices so he can come and we can just advance his skills every week.”

Billings has been working at Madonna for seven years and has worked with Vigan since he began outpatient rehabilitation in June.

“This is the meat of what we do for therapy,” Billings said. “We love seeing patients progress and that’s what we’re in this for.”

Vigan has gone from wheelchair to walker to crutches and now a single cane. In addition to the physical therapists helping Vigan rebuild muscles, he has been partaking in aquatic therapy to enhance balance and coordination. Specialized technology has been helping as well including a Lokomat robotic gait trainer, Aretech ZeroG harness and a SportsArt motorized elliptical.

The ZeroG harness allows Vigan to walk without holding on for support. Billings said it is more difficult than aquatic therapy. Utilizing the harness, Vigan can complete several exercises including walking, high knees and lunges.  “I used to love lunges before the accident,” Vigan said.  It’s not quite the workout that Vigan had grown to expect, but he said he likes to work hard.  “You get what you put in, so I’m always invested 100%,” Vigan said.

Vigan has been cleared to return to the gym and has been taking it lightly for the past three weeks. He has also been cleared to drive again and has been driving himself to each therapy session.  We’re just getting started,” Vigan said. “Down the road, I might be back again and running if I can. I’ll push myself to do that.”

Through it all, Vigan’s determination has stayed strong, which has been evident to those around him. A fellow patient, Venito Taylor, knew Vigan from the gym for the past several years. Taylor said that Vigan has always been a positive person.  “He’s a trainer, so he’s always upbeat,” Taylor said. “He always has a good attitude and inspires his clients and people that worked out with him.”

Back home, he has two daughters. Vigan said he always tells them to not give up.  “When you start something, you gotta finish it,” Vigan said. “This is, for me, a good example to not just tell them what to do, but to live through it.”  Vigan isn’t sure what his future holds or if he will ever return to the life he used to know, but one thing he is sure of is that he wants to spend time with his daughters.

“That is the one thing that I’ve been working hard for, to be able to get back on my feet again and play with them,” Vigan said. “When I come here, I work hard so I can make that happen.”

His advice for others is to “do what you can do” and “don’t give up on yourself.”

“Just because today’s harder doesn’t mean tomorrow isn’t going to be better,” Vigan said.

Recovery with ZeroG after a Car Crash

Source:  ITV News

GLASGOW, UK – A father-of-four who was left paralyzed after a serious crash is now dreaming of walking his daughters down the aisle after receiving innovative robotic therapy.

Luke Louden suffered a broken neck and back, alongside multiple serious leg injuries, in August 2020, and for more than two years the dairyman was forced to contemplate the end of his life as he knew it.

The 32-year-old, of Whauphill in Dumfries and Galloway, said he “knew instantly” after the crash that he was paralyzed, and added: “The doctors didn’t say there was no chance of walking but they said there was a slim chance.”

But that slim chance has now started to become a reality after he became the first patient to receive a new type of therapy at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow.

He said: “Quite quickly I began to feel the benefits, and now there’s less pain, fewer spasms, I sleep better and I have lost weight. It’s also been huge for my mental health.”

It is his wife Anna and his children Anna, eight, Chloe, six, Mary, four, and Isaac, three, who have been his inspiration and support during his recovery.

“They have kept me going – especially my wife,” Mr Louden said. “I don’t know how I would have managed without her. I’ve had some really dark times, but now I can look forward with real hope.

“The dream would obviously be to walk my girls down the aisle, so I’m going to keep going, to keep trying, for Anna and all my children.

“I mean, look what this system has done for me up to now – you never know what further advances are round the corner.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s been tough and the future is daunting, but the team here have been amazing, and I know they’ve got my back.”

Before Mr Louden started his therapy on the ZeroG Gait and Balance System, which NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said is the first of its kind in Scotland, he said he “put so much work in and didn’t see any return, and I could feel my hope just draining away”.

He added: “It was really hard at the start, and I didn’t really know what to do. I was really fit and active, so to lose the use of my legs was tough.”

In September last year, he started using the robotic apparatus, which supports him during therapy and automatically synchronizes with his movements to help him walk and prevent falls.

“It’s transformed my life and how I feel,” Mr Louden said. “I’ve gone from hardly being able to move to being able to walk 20 meters non-stop on the bars.

“My record on the ZeroG system is 57 meters.

“I’d love to keep improving but to be honest, if I couldn’t achieve any more I’d be happy the way I am. Just to be able to stand, even if it’s with a frame, is amazing.

“If you’d asked me six weeks ago if I could even achieve that I’d have said don’t be daft. But now I can stand next to my kids.”

Claire Lincoln, senior research physiotherapist at the hospital, said patients using the machine can do a lot more before becoming too tired.

“The system also allows us to be more creative with the activities we undertake, which means the patient gets more enjoyment and satisfaction while also seeing additional benefit,” she said.

“We are still learning the full potential of the system, but because of the support and added safety it gives patients, already it’s allowed us to try therapies earlier than would have been possible before.”

Dr Mariel Purcell, consultant in spinal injuries, said since he started his career 30 years ago more patients now have the potential to get back on their feet.

“We used to see a lot of young males, who had perhaps been in a car crash or suffered an industrial accident, but the advances in safety – seatbelt wearing and health and safety laws – have made a real difference,” he said.

“Now we are seeing damage that isn’t as bad, and we’re seeing older patients who have experienced lower-velocity injuries.

“This gives us a real chance to help these patients, and the ZeroG system will be instrumental in this work.”

For more information on The Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, please visit: https://www.spinalunit.scot.nhs.uk/

Learning to Walk again at Methodist Outpatient Rehab

Source: Meridianstar

Accustomed to running around on the softball field, Northeast Lauderdale alumna Alixus Hearn decided she wasn’t going to be sitting down for the rest of her life.

On Oct. 2, 2017, Hearn was involved in a car wreck that ejected her from her vehicle and left her paralyzed from the waist down due to her fourth and fifth thoracic vertebra being bruised and twisted. Initially, doctors told her she may never walk again, but Hearn opted for a vigorous rehab program at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson.

“Sitting down for a long period of time, I just wasn’t with that,” Hearn explained. “Having my mom and dad with me, they kept the positive energy around me. I just put everything in and went head first. I wasn’t sitting down until I got better.”

It began with baby steps last November, followed by using a walker to help her. Eventually, she ditched the walker for a cane, which she used from February until May. Now, Hearn no longer uses the cane to walk.

“It feels amazing,” Hearn said. “I can’t really explain it. It’s just been amazing. I don’t have to depend on anything to help me walk.”

Methodist offered Hearn rehab technology like the ZeroG Gait and Balance System, a device connected to an overhead track that harnessed Hearn upright, allowing her to do a wide range of motion activities while preventing her from falling. Originally, she went to therapy three times a week, but now her sessions have been reduced to once a week.

Having access to high-tech rehab equipment made a big difference in Hearn learning to walk again, and she said she’s grateful to live in a time where such technology is at her disposal.

“I don’t think Meridian gets that many spinal injury patients,” Hearn said. “They probably wouldn’t know what to do. I tried every piece of equipment (Methodist) had, and it helped a lot. I’m grateful for that.”

Emotional support proved just as important as physical support, and that began with Hearn’s parents, Allison Hearn and Demitrius Robinson.

“They did every single thing they could to keep me motivated and pumped,” Hearn said. “Both of them were my motivators. They did a good job with keeping my spirits up.”

That emotional support extended to her Lady Trojan teammates, who adopted the slogan “13 strong” in honor of Hearn, who wore No. 13 for Northeast Lauderdale.

“That meant everything to me,” Hearn said. “It showed me how much they cared and loved me.”

Being a softball player also helped in her rehab from a physical standpoint.

“Even my therapist said that since I played sports, I had a lot of muscle, and that was good,” Hearn explained. “In my sessions, there were some spots where I was stronger just because I played softball and had all that extra weight.”

Now a student at Meridian Community College, Hearn plans to transfer to Mississippi State and earn a degree in athletic training. Having grown up playing sports, Hearn said she would love to continue being around athletics as a trainer.

“At first, I just played for fun so I wouldn’t get bored, but as I gradually got into it, I just fell in love with the game even more, being out there and doing what I do best,” Hearn said.

 

Community Hospital in Munster offers ZeroG

Source: Times Staff

Amy Peters and Julie Gaski are taking steps to heal and recover after illness left them unable to walk by themselves. With the help of new technology at Community Hospital in Munster, they have new motivation and hope.

The ZeroG Gait and Balance System, the first of its kind in Northwest Indiana, is a robotic, body-weight support system. Patients wear a specialized harness that connects to the ZeroG robot as it supports and tracks their movements from above. ZeroG helps the patient practice walking, complete balance exercises and work on position changes such as sitting to standing. The “reduced gravity” environment is a feature to support balance while preventing falls.

“ZeroG gives our patients the safety and confidence to practice functional, real-world balance and walking activities,” said Amy Castillo, director of therapy services at Community Hospital. “We believe the use of ZeroG technology will help our patients accelerate and maximize recovery.”

Peters, of Munster and a Times employee, experienced difficulty walking as the result of a tumor that was pressing on her spinal cord. After chemotherapy, she initially was only able to walk with the assistance of a walker. Once her physical therapist added the ZeroG sessions three times a week, she was able to stand on her own.

“Using a walker is just not the same,” Peters said. “The ZeroG has restored my confidence in walking.”

Gaski, a resident of Crown Point, agrees. For two years following a stroke that rendered her left hand and foot immobile, she couldn’t walk and had an overwhelming fear of falling.

“The ZeroG gives your body a different feeling of ‘I can do this,’” Gaski said. “It’s amazing to stand on my own again after two years. It’s a wonderful thing.”

ZeroG can support up to 450 pounds and a variety of diagnoses, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, cerebral palsy and other orthopedic and neurological conditions. The therapist secures the individual into a comfortable harness, attaches it to the ZeroG robot and therapy can begin. The amount of support is customized for each person depending upon the level of their ability and can be increased or decreased with the touch of a remote button.

Support can be set to offload the person’s weight by up to 200 pounds, making them feel lighter in a “reduced gravity” environment. This allows them to undergo therapy at higher intensity levels sooner after injury or illness. As the individual progresses, the support can be decreased so the person does more under their own capabilities.

“For patients’ recovering from a stroke, like Julie, who cannot feel or have impaired awareness of where their foot and leg are when standing or walking, their perception and safety of daily mobility may be altered or compromised,” said Jacob Virgo, a clinical specialist in the hospital’s physical therapy department.

“The ZeroG allows for more intensive and task-specific training that may not be feasible outside of the support system. It gives therapists and patients the confidence and means to push the limits of what is possible, and allows the patient to progress to that next level of independence and safety.”

ZeroG Used in Recovery after Body Surfing Accident

Source: ABC7 News – SF Bay Area

Emergency room physician, Matthew Wetschler was body surfing when a wave sent him head first into the ocean floor. He was found floating in the water with a broken neck and without a pulse. He was given CPR on the beach, and was rushed to the hospital without the ability to move his arms or legs. Three hours later, he was in a pioneering “ultra early surgery” and was able to slightly move his left hand and leg the next day.
Just over a week later, Wetschler was transferred to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center’s inpatient rehabilitation unit. He used Aretech’s ZeroG Gait and Balance System to practice getting to standing, walking, lunges, kicking a soccer ball, and tossing and catching inflatable balls.
Because of all those involved in his recovery, and by using ZeroG to safely practice intensive therapy, Matthew Wetschler’s pace of recovery has been uncharacteristically rapid.

Representative Steve Scalise Relearns to Walk with Help from ZeroG

Source:  CBS News

Months after being ambushed by a gunman, Representative Steve Scalise tells 60 Minutes how close he came to dying – and how a series of “little miracles” saved him.

The Republican lawmakers had been practicing in Virginia for a charity baseball game, when a bullet tore through his hip and across his body.  He nearly died that day and has since fought through serious infections and begun the difficult process of relearning to walk.

Scalise ZeroG Overground

Part of his therapy included using Aretech’s ZeroG Gait and Balance System at National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC.

Click here to view the 60 Minutes piece

ZeroG Helps Man with an Incomplete SCI Walk Again

Source: YourWestValley

On January 11, Rick Schmidt’s golf shoe caught on the accelerator and his car smashed into a tree.  The accident in Trilogy at Vistancia caused an incomplete spinal cord injury that essentially rendered Schmidt, 64, a quadriplegic — plus left him with a broken leg.

Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital in Surprise wasn’t even open yet. But the new hospital and a determined patient would team up with near miraculous results, once Schmidt heard there was a slight chance he could walk again.

“When I found out I didn’t sever my spine, but it was crushed, and I found out there was a minute possibility, I was determined to walk again,” Schmidt said Friday. “I don’t accept failure. I will win. When I make up my mind to do something, it’s done.”

The 40-bed rehab campus at 13050 W. Bell Road began accepting patients January 18.  St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix called Cobalt about Schmidt and at that point, about 10 days after his crash, he could only wiggle his toes. Schmidt was transferred from St. Joseph’s to Cobalt on Jan. 27 as the rehab hospital’s 12th patient.

Schmidt could not move otherwise, could not feed himself and had no control over bodily functions. The Cobalt team began efforts to reacquire these skills as well as moving Schmidt’s limbs for him to avoid spasticity and atrophy.

Therapists worked on strengthening upper extremities through active resistance. They also put him in a lift to simulate sitting up, and a sliding board for mobility in bed.

Cobalt has the Aretech ZeroG Gait and Balance System, which allowed him to walk in simulated gravity-free environment. Noe said the harness allows patient to redevelop a normal walking gait rather than taking first halting steps with a walker.

Once a patient improves, the ZeroG program can add virtual obstacles to test how they can work their way around without falling.

Tina Serbin, a Cobalt physical therapist, shows Rick how to use the ZeroG Gait and Balance System

It was a test of the all-new team at the just opened hospital. Cobalt has state of the art equipment but most of it had not been used with a patient.

Those working with Schmidt had to be in lockstep on his diet, rehab regimen and communication of what he needed help with and what he needed to do himself.

“You still don’t expect it within 10 days,” Sharon Noe, Cobalt CEO said. “We huddled each morning and discussed his case. The therapists get a lot of accolades and they’re well-deserved, but nursing is a critical component. These are not just nurses that hand out meds, they’re rehab nurses and participate in the rehabilitation process as much as the therapist.”

Schmidt credited the entire team at Cobalt for their upbeat attitude, responsiveness and thoughtful planning.

By the end of his time at Cobalt, Schmidt was able to take 589 steps in a day on ZeroG, and about 170 with his walker.

When he left, Noe said Schmidt was at least four to six months ahead of the normal curve. Cobalt worked on wheelchair seating and placement. But instead of a typical rehab for this injury — which is 90 percent wheelchair based — Schmidt’s program was 30 to 40 percent with the wheelchair, Noe said.

Schmidt said his neurologist told him in March that he’ll make a full recovery in between one year and 18 months.

ZeroG Helps Stroke Patient Learn to Walk Again

Source:  Portland Business Journal & KATU2

Gary LaRue, a 74-year-old Yamhill County farmer, had a severe stroke on March 17th that paralyzed his right side and affected his speech.  Less than six weeks later, he was walking — with assistance — thanks to a new device at the Legacy Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon, or RIO, which is located at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland.

Gary LaRue at RIO

Gary LaRue had a stroke in March, but has been able to practice walking with the ZeroG system at Legacy Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon

The institute is the first in the Pacific Northwest to offer the ZeroG Gait and Balance Training System, a robotic mechanism that helps brain and spinal cord patients safely practice walking, balancing and getting up. It allows a patient to begin intensive therapy earlier than they otherwise would.

LaRue came to RIO two weeks after his stroke, which had left him wheelchair bound.

“For someone with no balance, they can attempt to walk and eliminate that fear of falling,” said Eric LaRue, Gary’s son and partner in an excavation company.

ZeroG consists of a computerized trolley that runs on a track on the ceiling. The person using it puts on a harness attached to the trolley, which partially supports their weight and moves with them.

VIDEO: See Gary walk in ZeroG

It’s different than previous systems in a couple of ways, said Valerie Fesler, LaRue’s physical therapist.

Gary chose Legacy RIO for his post-stroke recovery in order to use ZeroG

Gary chose Legacy RIO for therapy in order to use ZeroG in his recovery

“We had a system prior to this that would support the patient’s weight but was very cumbersome and would swing and throw them off balance when they were trying to walk,” Fesler said. “It allows us to get folks on their feet sooner because it’s a fall-free environment. It takes some of the fear out of walking, because they know they’re in this safe environment to practice.”

ZeroG can be used for a variety of diagnoses, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, cerebral palsy and other orthopedic and neurological injuries.

LaRue’s wife of 51 years Miriam, and son Eric said they are looking forward to him coming home from rehab this week. They hope he’ll be able to walk unassisted in the next couple of months. LaRue, who also raises Black Angus cattle, was very active before the stroke and was operating heavy machinery the week before. “He’s not your average 74 year old,” Miriam LaRue said.

 

Case Study: Faster Recovery Time with ZeroG

Source: Evergreen Health & Rehab

After two devastating falls, one that broke his back and another that broke his hip, Gerald Mott of Toms Brook, VA was basically unable to walk or perform many other necessary activities of daily living (ADLs). Mott, 74, also suffers from osteoporosis. Still, he was highly motivated to get back on his feet and return home after his injuries.

Faster Post-Surgery Rehabilitation

After orthopedic surgery, Mott was transferred from the hospital to Evergreen Health and Rehab, Winchester, VA, the only local rehab facility with a state-of-the-art rehabilitation device called the ZeroG Gait and Balance Training System, developed by Aretech. Mott was the first patient to use Evergreen’s ZeroG after the facility acquired it on July 1, 2015.

Dr. Michael Li, Evergreen’s Medical Director, said that the ZeroG Gait and Balance System is helping to lower overall rehabilitation costs. “With the help of the robotic ZeroG, patients can recover faster and more quickly regain function,” explained Li.

In the case of Mott, it’s estimated that the ZeroG cut his rehabilitation center stay in at least half. He spent just 5 weeks at Evergreen and now continues his physical therapy twice a week at the home he shares with his wife of 52 years. Evergreen’s Rehab Director, Connie Peace, said that Mott would have likely become a long-term care resident, or had a very lengthy stay of 10 weeks or more had he not been able to rehabilitate using the ZeroG.

ZeroG Gait Balance

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the ZeroG Gait and Balance Training System

The ZeroG robotic system allows patients to practice functional activities safely, with biofeedback that provides vital motivation and cues. The technology can compensate for a patient’s poor coordination or weakness while lowering the risk of injury to both the patient and the therapist. Besides helping patients rehab after orthopedic surgery, the ZeroG also has applications for patients who have had a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, amputation, cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis.

The ZeroG technology is used in about 77 of the leading rehab hospitals in the United States, according to Michael Ranberger, president and owner of Evergreen. “It’s pretty unusual for ZeroG to be in a post-acute facility like ours, but Evergreen does a lot of return-to-home rehab,” said Ranberger.

More Aggressive Therapy Speeds Progress

Mark Howard, Evergreen’s business development manager, pointed to another aspect of the ZeroG that helps speed up rehabilitation progress. “This device is really conducive to getting people up on their feet faster,” he said. Howard explained that, because patients are out of their walkers and wheelchairs, the therapists can use both hands and be much more aggressive in therapy. The more aggressive the therapy, the faster the progress.

Mott, for one, is extremely grateful for the positive outcome. “It’s going to help so many people,” he said. “I was excited to just be a part of it because I couldn’t move at all.”

“I went from the wheelchair to the walker,” Mott said. “[Now] I can use two canes to get around. I thought I would never walk again. You have to go to rehab. You have to.”

ZeroG Gait & Balance training technology at Mary Free Bed

Source: Mary Free Bed

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital becomes the first hospital in the Midwest to acquire a ZeroG Version 2. This new technology aids patients in gait and balance activities while they still have the safety of being protected by falls. Patient Todd VanZantwick used ZeroG to jog half a dozen paces down the hallway three weeks after he began his physical therapy. VanZantwick was among the first patients to benefit from ZeroG, Mary Free Bed’s new and sophisticated gait and balance training system. It gave VanZantwick the confidence to push himself harder because he knew he wouldn’t fall.

“There’s no way we could have attempted that without this equipment,” Mary Free Bed physical therapy Kristy Simpson said of VanZantwick’s brief run. “Now, we can be more aggressive, because the risk of fall is almost eliminated. And the more aggressive we can be, the more function the patient will recover.

ZeroG is a machine that runs along 85 feet of ceiling-mounted track on the fourth floor of Mary Free Bed’s new hospital in Grand Rapids.

Mary Free Bed Hall walk

ZeroG provides “dynamic” support. Once a patient is trapped into the harness, a therapist can program the machine to provide a certain amount of constant physical support and to “catch” the patient if he or she ventures out of the designated parameters. ZeroG gave VanZantwick the support and leeway to jump and move from side to side, but once he strayed too far or moved too quickly, signaling the machine he might be falling, the ZeroG Harness strap would lock to prevent him from taking a tumble.

 

Patient Terry Carter is rehabilitating from a spinal cord injury and broken hip. ZeroG provided support as he attempted to step up onto a stool. He also worked on standing from a seated position – without fear he would tumble forward onto the floor. Carter even enjoyed a game of Tetris on ZeroG’s touchscreen by working to control and stack the blocks by jumping or moving his body from left to right.

Mary Free Bed ZeroG Games

 

“If we have to concentrate on keeping a patient from falling, it’s difficult to also focus on the muscles they’re using and how to best help them improve their walking skills”, Simpson said.