Dynamic gait training

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...
Tips & Advice Weight-bearing Assistance and Pelvic Positioning with the New Pacer Gait Trainer June 20, 2017 by Lori Potts, PT
pacer gait trainer multi positioning saddle
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...
News The Pacer Family Has Grown June 06, 2017 by Ray Mommsen, Creative Director at Rifton Marketing
new pacer gait trainer announcement
You asked for an extra-large Pacer gait trainer. Today we’re happy to announce the arrival of not one but two new versions, the XL Pacer and the E-Pacer, to help you train your larger clients—and save your backs! The XL Pacer We’ve been making gait trainers for nearly thirty years, and lately we’ve seen increased demand for bigger models for adults and even large children. Our new...
PT/OT Body Weight Supported Treadmill Walking May 02, 2017 by Justin Gilligan, PTA
assisted treadmill walking
At our Therafit Rehab clinics in Maryland and New Jersey we specialize in treating children and adults with neurological disabilities such as cerebral palsy, stroke, TBI and Parkinson’s disease.  Time and again our patients tell us their number one goal for rehab is walking -- whether for the first time, relearning to walk or just walking better. And it’s no wonder. Walking is an integral...
PT/OT Gait Training and Dynamic Movement July 07, 2016 by Elena Noble, MPT
A therapist with her arms around a child with disabilities smiles as she practices dynamic movement in her Rifton Pacer gait trainer.
Building off the foundational concepts of neuroplasticity and motor learning, clinical gait training is an advancing intervention. With the aim to provide independence in gait and a full recovery for those with developmental or acquired disabilities, this discipline continues to incorporate new research and approaches into existing intervention protocols. In the last few years we’ve seen increased...
PT/OT Which Should I Use For Gait Training? May 17, 2016 by Lori Potts, PT
A caregiver guides a young boy in a Rifton Pacer gait trainer in an outdoor setting
Since our newest items, the Rifton TRAM and the New Pacer both have the capacity to support walking practice and have similar prompts, including arm prompts, trunk support, and walking saddle, therapists often wonder which to choose for ambulation or gait training. Because the TRAM does a lot more than gait training – it’s a three-in-one device that combines sit-to-sit...
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