Stories
The Magic of the Floating Frame
March 19, 2018
by Amanda Blankley
Saad is a young man who just transitioned to our adult services from his school program in September 2017, and even though I try hard not to have favorites, Saad tests my resolve; he never fails to brighten my day.
When Saad first arrived, he only had the wheelchair he came in. We put him in an old-style Rifton XL Pacer. Saad has cerebral palsy, involving a complex history with both his knees requiring...
PT/OT
Intervening Early for Better Mobility in CP
March 06, 2018
by Elena Noble, MPT
I recently attended the annual American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting (APTA CSM) in New Orleans. Among the wealth of great programming, I chose a course looking at early intervention for children with cerebral palsy (CP), and I’d like to share a few points I took away.
For therapy purposes, early intervention means providing services to a child before two years of age...
Evidence Based Practice
Evidence Update: Dynamic Gait Training for Child with SCI
October 17, 2017
by Elena Noble, MPT
Because good clinical evidence on the benefits of gait training is so scarce, we celebrate every contribution we find. Here’s one that specifically explores the effect of dynamic gait training on a child with a spinal cord injury.
After sustaining a complete T10 spinal cord injury (SCI) at 23 months old, this child began a walking program six months later. She initially started with a posterior...
Evidence Based Practice
Evidence Update: Children with CP and Home-based Treadmill Programs
September 25, 2017
by Elena Noble, MPT
Motor learning suggests that practice, repetition and task specificity are instrumental to task improvement. Sometimes extending the practice of therapeutic activities beyond the clinical environment and into the home is a great way to apply these principles and reinforce the gains made in the clinic.
Knowing this, I was interested to read a recent study looking at children with cerebral palsy and the...
Stories
In Praise of the Athlete
August 25, 2017
by Elena Noble, MPT
Johnny Agar never considered himself an athlete. Born with cerebral palsy, he used a wheelchair, depended on others to care for him and took his first steps—23 total—at 11 years old. But sports was always part of his life—after all his dad had been a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. But father and son did not bond on the baseball diamond. Inspired by My Team Triumph, a program where able...
Tips & Advice
Comparing Rifton’s Three Gait Training Devices
August 09, 2017
by Elena Noble, MPT
Since gait training is a focal rehabilitation activity, we’ve done our best to design gait trainers that meet all needs. In addition to our pediatric line of gait trainers we have three devices that can be used by heavier, larger clients: the TRAM, the XL Pacer and the E-Pacer. While the TRAM is good for tight spaces or if you need a device that can double as a toileting or transfer aid, for full...
How To’s
Arm Prompt Positioning Tutorial
The arm supports of Rifton's Pacer gait trainer offer a wide variety of positioning options for upper extremity stability, comfort, steering, and assistance with head control, weight-bearing and weight-shifting. Use this tutorial as a guide for great positioning outcomes.
Clamp Placement
The clamp is the foundation for arm...
Tips & Advice
Weight-bearing Assistance and Pelvic Positioning with the New Pacer Gait Trainer
June 20, 2017
by Lori Potts, PT
Rifton’s new Pacer gait trainer has three options for weight-bearing assistance and positioning of the hip girdle:
1. the multi-positioning saddle
2. the hip positioner, and
3. the pelvic support
Here’s a brief description of each with our recommendations to help you choose the right one for your clients.
Multi-Positioning Saddle
The multi...
Tips & Advice
Reverse the Pacer’s Multi-Positioning Saddle in Just 10 Seconds
November 22, 2016
by Lori Potts, PT
Many of our customers love the versatility of the new Rifton Pacer, but not everyone knows the simple and quick trick to reverse the Multi Positioning Saddle (MPS) allowing an individual to benefit from the pelvic positioning and weight bearing assist while using the Pacer gait trainer as a posterior walker.
Here are the simple steps to make this happen:
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PT/OT
The Clinical Progression: Treadmill to Overground Ambulation
November 15, 2016
by Elena Noble, MPT
Gait training is central in the rehabilitation of individuals with neuromotor disabilities. In clinical circles, there is considerable debate over whether gait training is best performed over a treadmill or over ground. Is one intervention more effective than the other? The research on this topic is inconclusive at best. What we do know, however, is that studies comparing the two gait training approaches...