Lokomat for Spinal Cord Injury
Body weight supported treadmill training
When people have a spinal cord injury (SCI), it often affects their walking. Some people need help to walk, or walking aides (like walking frames), and some cannot walk at all. Those who can walk may have problems with: balance, coordination, small steps, one leg doesn't move or moves differently to the other.
Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) aims to improve walking in patients with SCI. It trains them to walk more normally through repeated practice. It involves a harness to hold the patient over a treadmill. This supports their weight to make it easier to practice walking. Different methods can be used to help move the patient's legs, such as:
- Two physiotherapists move one of the patient's legs each
- The patient's legs are strapped into a machine (robot) that moves their legs
- Electrical currents are used to trigger movement in leg muscles
There is not enough evidence to assess whether the benefits and harms of BWSTT are better, worse, or the same as other types of walking training.
