New GAIT Tool: How It Helps People With Neurological Defects Improve Their Movement? Find Out Here
Gait is a type or pattern of movement of the limbs during locomotion. Gait can be classified as a normal gait pattern as in our regular body movement while walking or abnormal gait patterns. A normal gait pattern has a stance and swing phase while there may be alterations in these phases with an abnormal gait. With increasing problems in normal gait patterns in patients with neurological deficits, a “new gait” tool is being used at Balanced Gait Pt to help patients regain their normal walking pattern and improve movement.
What is New Gait?
New Gait is an easy to wear device that uses elastic bands to aid people improve their mobility and gait. There are several components in the new gait tool that work together immensely to support a normal gait pattern. At Balanced Gait Pt our therapist offers gait training sessions to patients and have achieved great results with the new gait tool.
Who can use the New Gait tool?
The New Gait tool is useful to all those who want an alternative to urban poling and want hands free movement. It is a tool, currently in research, developed to improve the gait pattern in patients with Parkinson’s and stroke.
How does the New Gait tool help?
- The New Gait tool improves both the upper and lower body movements during gait and helps in building the physical strength.
- Once the upper and lower body movements are improved the New Gait tool automatically helps people in independent walking by augmenting their balance and posture.
The components of New Gait tool
The components of the New Gait tool are designed to achieve the perfect stance and swing phases of a gait cycle. The stance phase usually begins at the heel and ends at toe without the foot leaving the ground while the swing phase has the foot off the ground while the other leg and foot supporting the body weight. The components include-:
- The New Gait lower leg device helps in initial contact of heel with the ground by assisting the dorsiflexor muscle. It is really helpful in patients with foot drop.
- The New Gait waist belt and upper leg device begin their work by stabilizing the pelvis as the weight of the body is moved from back leg to the front leg.
- Now the upper and lower leg muscles work together to stabilize the body as the weight is shifted to the single side. The New Gait components now begin to compress the lower limb joints to provide feedback and stability. It also helps in maintaining balance.
- The push off phase is initiated by the New Gait tool while still maintaining the balance.
- The New Gait assistance bands are stretched during the swing phase which is the next phase in the gait cycle.
- The assistance bands shorten to enable the action of hip muscles and ankle muscles to clear the foot off the ground.
- The hip muscles and ankle muscles continue their swing phase and heel strike occurs at the end of this phase.
A note from Balanced Gait Pt
At Balanced Gait Pt we provide the best of therapy to our patients with the latest addition being the New Gait tool. The New gait tool has been found to be very effective in successfully treating our patients with gait and balance disorders. If you experience similar symptoms feel free to contact our physical therapy department to know more about our services and improve your lifestyle.
References
https://thenewgait.com/the-science-behind-the-newgait-professional/