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...
PT/OT Intervening Early for Better Mobility in CP March 06, 2018 by Elena Noble, MPT
A young girl with cerebral palsy receives early intervention gait training services while walking in a pink Pacer.
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...
PT/OT Giving the Gift of Mobility April 25, 2016 by Denise Swensen, PT, DPT
a young girl in a Rifton gait trainer
Typically developing children reach most motor milestones in a fairly predictable manner. By six months babies are rolling; by eight months they are creeping on all fours and sitting on their own and by ten-twelve months they are standing and getting ready to take their first steps. During this part of the first year of life, typically developing babies are exploring their environment, interacting with...
How To’s Guidelines for Functional Use of the Pacer Gait Trainer part II
mediumpacergaittrainer_feature
In the Pacer gait trainer children with a wide variety of disabilities can gain independent movement while provided with appropriate support. The Pacer accessories are infinitely adjustable to accommodate the individual needs of almost any person. Many people use the Pacer without fully appreciating the adjustments that are possible. Last week we took a closer look at the Pacer frame and upper body...
How To’s Guidelines for Functional Use of the Pacer Gait Trainer part I
riftonpacergaittrainer_feature
In the Pacer gait trainer children with a wide variety of disabilities can gain independent movement while provided with appropriate support. The Pacer accessories (we call them prompts) are infinitely adjustable to accommodate the individual needs of almost any person. Each prompt is also removable so as the client’s motor skills improve they can be removed. Many people use the Pacer without fully...