If you've ever had a joint replacement, you know coming back from that type of surgery is pretty painful. But a machine designed to help those who travel in space, is helping those on earth mend without a lot of discomfort.
When Josette Sykes had a knee replacement three months ago, she needed rehab to get back on her feet. But the pressure on her joint from walking was painful. So her physical therapist recommended she try an antigravity treadmill.
"I love this machine. It's like walking on a cloud, no stress..no pain," Sykes says.
By pumping air into the sealed clear bubble, and adjusting for the person's weight and injury type, patients feel like they are walking or running on air, which takes away the pressure on the joints.
"All those compensations that you develop after surgery or an injury that delays your rehab in progress, we can eliminate all of those while you are on here," explains Josh Billings with Harborview Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy.
The treadmill was originally designed by NASA, to help astronauts train for zero gravity conditions, but physical therapists and elite athletes realized that running and walking on an anti-gravity machine was perfect for training as well as rehabilitation.
"High level athletes, to joint replacements to fractures: pretty much any lower extremity injury, anything where weight bearing is a factor, this is helpful for," says Billings.
And that leads to positive results. After a month on the treadmill, Sykes has better movement in her knee, than if she went through standard rehab. She's lost weight, and she's recovering faster. All with very little pain.
(Cheryl Castro for CNN's Health Minute)
When Josette Sykes had a knee replacement three months ago, she needed rehab to get back on her feet. But the pressure on her joint from walking was painful. So her physical therapist recommended she try an antigravity treadmill.
"I love this machine. It's like walking on a cloud, no stress..no pain," Sykes says.
By pumping air into the sealed clear bubble, and adjusting for the person's weight and injury type, patients feel like they are walking or running on air, which takes away the pressure on the joints.
"All those compensations that you develop after surgery or an injury that delays your rehab in progress, we can eliminate all of those while you are on here," explains Josh Billings with Harborview Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy.
The treadmill was originally designed by NASA, to help astronauts train for zero gravity conditions, but physical therapists and elite athletes realized that running and walking on an anti-gravity machine was perfect for training as well as rehabilitation.
"High level athletes, to joint replacements to fractures: pretty much any lower extremity injury, anything where weight bearing is a factor, this is helpful for," says Billings.
And that leads to positive results. After a month on the treadmill, Sykes has better movement in her knee, than if she went through standard rehab. She's lost weight, and she's recovering faster. All with very little pain.
(Cheryl Castro for CNN's Health Minute)
