High-tech C-Mill rehab treadmill at Northridge Hospital Medical Center is first in L.A. County

Do you really think your stroke hospital will buy this and your doctors prescribe it? My doctor pooh-poohed the usefulness of the Lokomat. I considered it the only thing that could suppress my spasticity and make walking almost normal. This wouldn't have been useful for me at all. 

Or maybe this might be better: Does your stroke hospital even know about this one, only 7 years old?

Smart Floor Hopes to Help Improve Walking Skills June 2013

 

 High-tech C-Mill rehab treadmill at Northridge Hospital Medical Center is first in L.A. County

Tina Orkin, a stroke survivor, utilizes the new C-Mill at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. The C-Mill provides safe therapy to improve balance by simulating real-life experiences.(photo by Andy Holzman).

 

 

 

The Motek C-Mill, a trend-setting motivational and therapeutic tool for patients, made its debut last week at the Center for Rehabilitative Medicine at Dignity Health-Northridge Hospital.
It’s the first of its kind in Los Angeles County, hospital officials said.

Physical Therapist Megan Grady helps stroke survivor Tina Orkin with safety equipment before she uses the the new C-Mill at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. The C-Mill provides safe therapy to improve balance by simulating real-life experiences. (Photo by Andy Holzman).

The high-tech treadmill helps patients train for everyday life’s shifting environments and changing circumstances, such as walking in a crowded room or avoiding obstacles on the sidewalk.
The C-Mill is for people who need to improve or regain balance, build a steadier gait or restore the ability to manage dual tasking — such as clearing dishes from a table and walking over to a kitchen counter at the same time.
The C-Mill, which uses a body-weight support system to keep patients from losing balance or falling, analyzes a person’s stride pattern as they walk and helps them adjust their gait.
It then uses virtual and augmented reality — adding digital images — to help the person adjust their walking to avoid obstacles in a fun and interactive rehabilitation exercise.

Patients who may benefit from the virtual treadmill include people who have:

• Suffered a brain injury
• Endured a spinal cord injury
• Been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
• Faced orthopedic challenges
• Been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
• Experienced a stroke.

In the end, the most important goal of the treadmill and accompanying therapy is to help people regain the ability to live independently.
More information on the Center for Rehabilitative Medicine at Northridge Hospital is available at  dignityhlth.org/3a8ke32