Burgess PT department acquires video work-out unit
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2008
Matt Garred of Whiting, Iowa, who tore his ACL during the last high school football season, demonstrates the conditioning he used with the new Cybex Trazer at Burgess Health Center, Onawa, Iowa. The interactive, computerized system provides video-guided exercise to patients who follow the cues they see on the monitor. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
ONAWA, Iowa -- Individuals walking by the physical therapy department at Burgess Health Center might wonder if a video game had been installed in the wrong place.
They may be surprised to learn that this is the latest approach to promote a quicker recovery for individuals who are in need of therapeutic modalities for their injuries, disorders or health challenges.
Physical therapy patients at Burgess Health Center are being challenged in different ways with the new Cybex Trazer -- an interactive computer system that provides video-guided exercises to patients taking cues from animated images on a monitor.
Matt Garred of Whiting, Iowa, demonstrated the new system which was part of his physical therapy regimen. Garred was a junior at Whiting High School during the last football season when an injury sidelined him.
"I was on the special teams, the kick-off and return team, and it was my homecoming game," said the 17-year-old. "I was running and was clipped from behind."
Although there was no flag on the play, Garred was taken out of the game. Subsequent X-rays indicated that he had torn his ACL at the 8-man football game. He went through reconstructive surgery Nov. 7 and began traditional physical therapy exercises.
"I did the leg raises on my side and on my stomach," he said with a hint of boredom in his voice. "Then there was some electrical stimulus therapy, all to re-educate my muscle."
That is until the Cybex Trazer was installed.
"This is a lot more interesting and motivating," Garred said, as he "worked out" in front of the video program called Jump Explosion, moving and jumping up in sync with a Mario Brothers figure on the screen.
In essence, the Cybex Trazer is a computer monitor with a hard drive that has programs, said Josh Lander, director of physical therapy.
"There are four different training games, four different training drills and four different testing modes we can use to measure how well the patient is progressing," he said.
Individuals using the unit stand before the computer screen wearing a belt with a sensor in it. A participant jumps, lunges and moves in response to prompts on the screen. The sensor "cues" the game with the patient's responses.
Patients spend two to six minutes following the machine's prescribed exercise and may come back for six to eight sessions as part of their treatment. After a guided activity, the unit gives the patient immediate feedback on progress and will soon print off reports for physicians, Lander said.
"Physical therapy plays an important role in helping many patients recover after illnesses and injuries," he pointed out. "The Cybex Trazer provides a variety of activities to motivate patients."
When the exercise is completed, a Burgess physical therapist will write down the results; so that next time, the patient can be motivated to do even better.
Following the workout, patients "unknowingly" blend speed with balance, agility, reaction time and other movements, according to Lander.
"We had a lot of fun working with this when it first arrived for us to test it out," he said. "Everyone who starts watching the screen wants to try it. It really adds a fun element to therapy."
The hospital acquired the new piece of equipment, which cost more than $7,000, just after moving into a new space last November, Lander said.
"We have a great new department and gym area for patient care at Burgess, and now we have another tool to motivate and benefit our patients in their rehabilitation," he noted. "The Cybex Trazer is a nice addition to all the other therapies we provide."
If the Cybex Trazer sounds like the dream of every teenager with an injury, that's not quite the case, Lander said. The versatile unit has already been used with seniors who have suffered strokes, experienced joint pain or have had total hip or knee replacements.
"The machine can evaluate spatial awareness, reaction time and something as simple as rising up on your toes," he said. "Patients are able to use canes and other devices for safety as needed, but what we're seeing is that patients are performing sometimes as much as 45 percent better using the Cybex Trazer."
The new equipment definitely helped get his "game on," Garred said.
"I did miss out on the basketball season, but I was cleared to do track last March," said the hurdler. "My knee's a lot stronger; I think it's due to the Cybex Trazer."
They may be surprised to learn that this is the latest approach to promote a quicker recovery for individuals who are in need of therapeutic modalities for their injuries, disorders or health challenges.
Physical therapy patients at Burgess Health Center are being challenged in different ways with the new Cybex Trazer -- an interactive computer system that provides video-guided exercises to patients taking cues from animated images on a monitor.
Matt Garred of Whiting, Iowa, demonstrated the new system which was part of his physical therapy regimen. Garred was a junior at Whiting High School during the last football season when an injury sidelined him.
"I was on the special teams, the kick-off and return team, and it was my homecoming game," said the 17-year-old. "I was running and was clipped from behind."
Although there was no flag on the play, Garred was taken out of the game. Subsequent X-rays indicated that he had torn his ACL at the 8-man football game. He went through reconstructive surgery Nov. 7 and began traditional physical therapy exercises.
"I did the leg raises on my side and on my stomach," he said with a hint of boredom in his voice. "Then there was some electrical stimulus therapy, all to re-educate my muscle."
That is until the Cybex Trazer was installed.
"This is a lot more interesting and motivating," Garred said, as he "worked out" in front of the video program called Jump Explosion, moving and jumping up in sync with a Mario Brothers figure on the screen.
In essence, the Cybex Trazer is a computer monitor with a hard drive that has programs, said Josh Lander, director of physical therapy.
"There are four different training games, four different training drills and four different testing modes we can use to measure how well the patient is progressing," he said.
Individuals using the unit stand before the computer screen wearing a belt with a sensor in it. A participant jumps, lunges and moves in response to prompts on the screen. The sensor "cues" the game with the patient's responses.
Patients spend two to six minutes following the machine's prescribed exercise and may come back for six to eight sessions as part of their treatment. After a guided activity, the unit gives the patient immediate feedback on progress and will soon print off reports for physicians, Lander said.
"Physical therapy plays an important role in helping many patients recover after illnesses and injuries," he pointed out. "The Cybex Trazer provides a variety of activities to motivate patients."
When the exercise is completed, a Burgess physical therapist will write down the results; so that next time, the patient can be motivated to do even better.
Following the workout, patients "unknowingly" blend speed with balance, agility, reaction time and other movements, according to Lander.
"We had a lot of fun working with this when it first arrived for us to test it out," he said. "Everyone who starts watching the screen wants to try it. It really adds a fun element to therapy."
The hospital acquired the new piece of equipment, which cost more than $7,000, just after moving into a new space last November, Lander said.
"We have a great new department and gym area for patient care at Burgess, and now we have another tool to motivate and benefit our patients in their rehabilitation," he noted. "The Cybex Trazer is a nice addition to all the other therapies we provide."
If the Cybex Trazer sounds like the dream of every teenager with an injury, that's not quite the case, Lander said. The versatile unit has already been used with seniors who have suffered strokes, experienced joint pain or have had total hip or knee replacements.
"The machine can evaluate spatial awareness, reaction time and something as simple as rising up on your toes," he said. "Patients are able to use canes and other devices for safety as needed, but what we're seeing is that patients are performing sometimes as much as 45 percent better using the Cybex Trazer."
The new equipment definitely helped get his "game on," Garred said.
"I did miss out on the basketball season, but I was cleared to do track last March," said the hurdler. "My knee's a lot stronger; I think it's due to the Cybex Trazer."
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