Author: Premier Clinic

Benefits of the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill

Have you ever heard of the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill? This unique piece of equipment enables individuals to walk or run at a lower percentage of their body weight. This is useful in the clinical setting as it can help patients perform rehabilitation with less pain.

The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can be used with patients looking to gain mobility, strength, natural movement and fitness, while also minimizing stress on the body or on injury. This piece of equipment is particularly beneficial for injured athletes, as it can assist in gaining confidence, maintaining cardiovascular condition, retraining gait without compensations from pain or injury, as well as reduce the risk of re-injury.

How does it work?

The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill uses unloading and progressive loading to achieve the aforementioned benefits. The treadmill uses air pressure to help unweight the participant. Specific shorts are worn, generally over the top of shorts or tight leggings. The patient then steps inside the chamber of the machine, similar to a large bubble, and is zipped inside. This allows the lower body to be enclosed and supported by the air pressure. Once the machine has calibrated to the individual, the body support percentage can be adjusted as desired. From there, the treadmill operates like a regular treadmill with speed adjustments for walking or running. From a clinical perspective, the sides and back of the bubble are clear to allow the therapist to observe mobility and gait mechanics for better treatment. The patient continuously maintains contact with the treadmill belt and never floats within the machine.

Who Benefits from the Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill?

There has been research to support the use of body assisted support systems in rehabilitation for joint pain such as arthritis, or for returning to walk after surgery or conditions like stroke. This is because the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can be used to restore normal walking and running mechanics while also supporting the healing tissue. What’s more, the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can be used to assist in recovery from fractures, stress fractures, knee or hip surgery or replacement, as well as for weight loss. Overall, the use of this machine can help facilitate rehabilitation, improve recovery times and optimize rehab.

To learn more about the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill contact Premier Clinic Ltd on 01254 677341.

Have you ever considered how you walk? Not how fast or how stylish, but in what manner? That’s called gait—your walking style—and it can have a considerable impact on your health.

The body is an impressive, interconnected system. Making it move requires coordination between hundreds of bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons. Proper biomechanics ensure that pressure is distributed evenly and efficiently, whether you are stepping, running, or sprinting. There’s a lot going on at once, so you can imagine the impact an imbalance or abnormality in even one part of this complex series of motions could have on your health.
In some cases, minor gait abnormalities that go uncorrected can lead to injury or chronic pain. Take overpronation, for example, a common gait abnormality. When you overpronate, you might experience pain in the foot or ankle that can even reach up to the lower back. In addition, things like misaligned bones, or differences in leg length, can create pressure points that cause pain and even injury throughout the entire body—not just the site of the asymmetry.

Think about the last time you had to stay standing for a long time in an uncomfortable pair of dress shoes. Notice how you experienced pain not only in the feet and legs but up around the lower back! Over time, these abnormalities can affect our ability to participate in certain activities or to perform at our optimal level.

Of course, there are more severe abnormalities such as ataxia, foot drop, and severe limp resulting from injury or disease. Each of these serious conditions can put certain movements and activities completely out of reach, or cause chronic pain, loss of balance, and even more serious injury. These abnormalities can arise for a variety of reasons, including genetics, neurological conditions, and major injuries.

The good news is that no matter your condition, gait can be analyzed and improved with the help of the team at Premier Clinic Ltd. It takes time, and it takes commitment on behalf of you the patient, but a normalized, healthier gait is possible for even the severest of cases.

If you think you need help then you can get a free 15 minute consultation until the end of October at Premier Clinic Ltd. Telephone 01254 677341/01706 211419 to book your slot.

It’s no secret that collective waistlines have been expanding over the last few decades. What may surprise you; however, are just how many extra notches we have had to add to our national belt. According to research a staggering 70.7% of adults are overweight, with 37.9% falling within the “obese” category.

These startling statistics aren’t a simple matter of national vanity either. Indeed, we are on the edge of the precipice of a healthcare crisis, due to the rapidly increasing numbers of people suffering from obesity related conditions, such as Type II Diabetes, Osteoarthritis, and Hypertension.

At the same time, modern society is not exactly designed to promote healthy living habits. Long commutes, sedentary jobs, and readily available convenience foods all set the stage for an uphill battle for those attempting to lose weight and achieve better wellness.

The good news is that it doesn’t take much weight loss to see some of the largest benefits. Studies have shown that even a modest; 5-10 percent reduction in weight can have a major impact on cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, insulin resistance, sleep apnoea, and chronic inflammation, among other ailments.

Despite what the magazines and infomercials may claim, there is no “magic pill” or food or incantation that will shed those pounds for you. At the heart of things, weight loss comes down to a relatively simple formula: calories in < calories out. There are two variables available for manipulation here: diet and exercise. So which one should be the focus? Trick question! Both are integral to any successful and sustainable long-term health and wellness plan. Now, here Premier Clinic, we are no nutrition experts, so we will leave that piece to the pros. What we do feel eminently qualified to evangelize about is exercise! We all know that, in order to get healthy, we have to get moving! At the same time, undertaking an exercise regimen can be uncomfortable and even unsafe for those suffering from obesity. Undue joint loading, insufficient muscular strength, and lack of conditioning all combine to greatly increase the risk of injury, side-lining and undermining even the most motivated weight loss devotee. How do we get around this seemingly insurmountable roadblock? Well, we fly right over it, with a little Anti-Gravity assistance! That’s right; the Anti-Gravity Treadmill is not just for injury recovery, but also for injury prevention. In the case of overweight or obese patients, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill’s un-weighted support allows for the completion of safer, longer, more strenuous workouts, free from the pernicious clutches of injury. Perhaps an even more striking example of life-“altering” (sorry, I couldn’t resist) exercise involves the contestants of a television show that goes after EXTREME weight loss. You are likely familiar with this prime-time spectacle of endurance and inspiration, and the sheer volume and intensity of exercise that its contestants must take on in the name of competition (and health, of course). What you may not know, however, is that the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is a huge behind-the-scenes helping hand for these intrepid sweat warriors Weight loss success stories don’t have to be distant, Hollywood pipe-dreams to the rest of us, and we must take action if we are to take back our collective health and wellness. Here at Premier Clinic, we like to think of ourselves as the catalyst for what we hope will become a worldwide wellness revolution. That means that we set you up with the alley-oop, and it is up to you to make that slam dunk. So why not get in touch with us to start your transformation to a better healthy lifestyle, and take those first steps in your weight loss journey today. Let’s get this game started; the ball is in your court. Contact us on 01254 677341 or via www.premier-clinic.co.uk we are here to help you achieve, so get in touch NOW, make that first step to better health and well-being.