Most of us are familiar with the benefits of aquatic exercises where the buoyancy gives patients the chance to exercise more with less pain. Yet not all of us are able to get to a pool regularly or some do not like to get in the water. This type of unloading is especially helpful for articular cartilage repair where the compression decompression repeatedly helps increase cartilage and tissue hydration and helps wash out the pain metabolites.
The unloader is a special device we use with patients that have cervical or low back pain resulting from stenosis, herniated discs and pinched nerves. It is great for patients that lack cartilage in weight bearing joints of the spine or legs, especially where weight bearing activities hurt. Our clinic uses an AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill™ to unload patients. Click here to be directed to our AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill™ page.
Think of a sponge as your cartilage in the spine, disc or in a weight bearing joint. If there is dirty water (pain chemicals), what would you do? Since the cartilage gets hydration by diffusion from the surrounding tissues just like a sponge, you would put in water and squeeze and release many times to allow the dirty water to go out and clean water to come in. The low load compression decompression allows the cartilage to receive nutrients and recover. It is important to not continue unloader exercises when they cause pain, but to exercise at a correct partial weight bearing level so as to help the cartilage to improve.
Such unloader training can be used with a treadmill or with the neck harness and using an upper body ergometer.
Indications for unloader training are when:
- Weight bearing hurts
- There is a limp
- There is more pain at the end of the day
- Weight bearing causes swelling
- weight bearing range of motion is much less than non-weight bearing range of motion
- Motion segments have abnormal movements and firing patterns
- The ligaments, tendons and muscles are weak or injured
Your therapist will assist you in this and ensure that your posture and gait are correct, and that the correct amount of weight is be taken off when walking or using the Upper Body Ergometer.
Most people doing this are surprised that they are able to walk more and with much less pain.
One example of U
Call us today to find out more about this new and amazing treatment technique.