Dynamic gait training

Evidence Based Practice Teens with Cerebral Palsy Benefit from Treadmill Gait Training – A Case Story March 18, 2019 by Connie Johnson, PT, DScPT
A teenage girl with cerebral palsy stands on a treadmill in a gym.
As a pediatric physical therapist working in public schools, I want my students to move, and to move in the same way their peers do. When Rifton came out with the treadmill gait trainer, I was eager to explore increasing exercise intensity for my teenagers with mobility impairments. I was fortunate enough to get funding for one in my school. I went to the literature to look for protocols using gait treadmills for youth with disabilities and did not find much.
PT/OT Treadmill Base: A Solution for Gait Practice June 01, 2018 by Lori Potts, PT
A young girl walks on a treadmill with the aid of a Rifton Pacer, while a caregiver gives her instruction.
Body-weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is widely recognized as a promising intervention to improve ambulation for individuals with neuromotor disability, with diagnoses including cerebral palsy¹, spinal cord...
Videos Pacer Treadmill Base Demo
A caregiver encourages a young client with walking excercises on a treadmill using a Rifton Pacer.
Lori Potts, PT demonstrates how the Pacer can be used over a treadmill with the innovative treadmill base. Video Transcript   This is Rifton’s treadmill base and would be used over a treadmill that is set up in a clinic or home. The idea here is that we first establish the optimal settings for a particular child and then approach the treadmill walking. When the child is about ready to step up...
Stories Great Strides with the Dynamic Rifton Pacer and Treadmill Base May 07, 2018 by Shirley Dzikowski, PT
A client uses the Rifton Pacer to walk on a treadmill.
I have had great success with the dynamic Rifton Pacer gait trainer matched with Rifton’s treadmill base. Because my clients are completely supported, including their hands and arms, they are safe to work over a moving treadmill base. Some of my clients even “run” on the treadmill at 2.0 and 2.5 mph as I have placed them up a bit higher and they learn how to move their feet quicker. This...
PT/OT Tips and Tricks for Getting More Out of Your Rifton TRAM April 23, 2018 by Christy Hupka, PT
A young client standing and walking with his physical therapist with the aid of a Rifton TRAM.
The Rifton TRAM provides a lot of flexibility within our school setting for standing, walking, and transfers.  Mostly it is used for safe transfers that would typically require a two-person lift.  However, in one of my schools it has provided a great solution for two students who needed more flexibility in their standing and walking routines at school. Here are two examples: Case 1:  This...
PT/OT New Webinar on Motor Learning April 17, 2018 by Lori Potts, PT
A young teenager standing in a Rifton Pacer Gait Trainer doing and activity with a caregiver.
On April 12, we hosted a webinar, Progressive Gait Training: Motor Learning Strategies and the Research, discussing motor skill acquisition through practice, feedback and prompt reduction. It concluded with a demonstration of the Rifton Pacer and tips for therapeutic and functional use of the Pacer emphasizing the benefits of dynamic support and the reduction of physical assistance to increase...
Stories The Magic of the Floating Frame March 19, 2018 by Amanda Blankley
A teenage boy using a gray Rifton Pacer gait trainer to walk.
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...
Evidence Based Practice Evidence Update: Dynamic Gait Training for Child with SCI October 17, 2017 by Elena Noble, MPT
A child with sci in a blue dynamic gait trainer smiles at his caregiver as he walks through the school hallway.
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...
PT/OT Removing Limits, One Step at a Time September 14, 2017 by Kevin Mullin, CNR Managing Consultant
A close up of the legs of a young woman practicing gait in a grey Rifton dynamic Pacer after an spinal cord injury.
The Center for Neuro Recovery (CNR) in North Palm Beach, Florida, is not your traditional training and recovery center. It’s rated among the top training centers in the country with referrals from 54 national rehab hospitals and 17 international rehab hospitals, and it might be best described as a highly skilled comprehensive training facility for those willing to push the boundaries. CNR provides...
PT/OT Creative Mobility Technology for Improved Outcomes July 03, 2017 by Elena Noble, MPT
A man with disabilities sits on a red therapy ball while PT students demonstrate a creative mobility technique.
I recently attended the APTA Next Conference in Boston. A new component to this conference is the experience zone—an education space in the exhibit hall allowing presenters to draw on resources from the show floor as part of their presentations. A great idea. I attended a course called “Creative Mobility Technology for Improved Outcomes” in the zone. Here we learned to get the most...
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