Must Have Rehab Exercise Equipment for Your Physcial Therapy Clinic
Rehab versus standard exercise equipment
Compared to standard exercise equipment designed for healthy people with a normal range of motion, rehab exercise equipment is designed to be easily used by people with a restricted range of motion. This type of equipment often features broader access points, wheelchair accessibility, more handles and sturdy grip bars. Physical therapy clinic equipment designed for rehabilitation also typically features slower speeds and more program options, braille or larger screen sizes for clients with vision difficulties and louder notification tones for those who are hard of hearing.
At-home rehab exercise equipment
Rehabilitation doesn't end in the clinic. Many clients require aids for daily living and must continue their rehabilitation exercises at home. Some standard exercise equipment is handy for use as at-home medical rehab and exercise supplies. Foam rollers, hand exercisers and hot and cold therapy pads are lightweight and inexpensive. By moving over foam rollers on the ground or against a wall, clients can massage tense muscles from the comfort of home. Use hand strengtheners as at-home or on-the-go rehab exercise equipment to build dexterity and strength. Hot and cold therapy pads ease muscular, ligament and joint pain by reducing post-treatment inflammation.
Essential rehab exercise equipment for every clinic
Rehab gym equipment and tools aid physical therapists in delivering effective treatment plans. In every clinic, physical therapy furniture is necessary to help therapists effectively diagnose and treat clients. The following equipment is vital in every clinic.
- Hand exercisers come in various styles, including putty, squeeze balls, spring-based designs and plastic webbing to develop strength and dexterity.
-Resistance bands are highly versatile and useful for whole-body strengthening when paired with different exercises.
-Exercise balls and balance equipment help patients improve their balance, coordination, flexibility and strength.
-Hand weights are useful for recovering arm strength.
-Cuff weights build muscle without the need for the patient to grasp onto anything.
-Pulley systems are highly adjustable and useful for a wide range of total body exercises.
-Parallel bars and treadmills are essential medical rehab and exercise supplies for patients who require walking or gait training.
As well as the above equipment, both upright and recumbent stationary bikes have their advantages. One of the main differences is that upright bikes require hip and knee flexion movements above 90 degrees, while recumbent bikes require less joint motion.
Specialized rehab exercise equipment
A lot of rehab gym equipment and physical therapy supplies have multiple uses for a variety of injury and rehabilitation treatment plans. Selecting multi-use equipment rapidly expands your treatment potential as a physical therapist. Specialized physical therapy clinic equipment is a better investment when it relates to your particular area of rehabilitation expertise.
Cardiac rehab exercise equipment
In addition to building cardiovascular strength, cardio rehab exercise equipment helps clients improve their range of motion. Some people may find elliptical trainers challenging to access, but they provide an excellent cardiovascular workout and help with gait training. In addition to cardiac exercise, treadmills help clients regain natural walking posture, strength and balance.
Recumbent bicycles build cardio health and range of motion and are easier on the lower back. They feature larger seats for comfort than upright bikes. The resistance on rowing machines is adjustable. Rowing machines also help to strengthen and tone major muscle groups in the lower body as well as the upper back, shoulders and arms. Stair climbers give patients a visual goal to reach while training muscle groups throughout the body and improving cardiovascular strength.
Shoulder rehab exercise equipment
Shoulder rehab gym equipment and exercises target muscle groups in the chest, upper back, shoulder and arm. Shoulder rehab treatment plans initially work to reduce pain during tendon or muscular healing. Hot and cold therapy tools are useful for relieving pain in the initial treatment phase.
Shoulder wheels rotate 360 degrees to perform resistance exercises that increase shoulder joint mobility and rotation. Set up pulley systems into different orientations for shoulder range of motion exercises. Highly versatile tools such as resistance bands add an extra layer of difficulty to arm rotation and flexion exercises. As clients strengthen, gradually add handheld weights in 1 lb. increments into the treatment plan for further muscle strength and conditioning.
Knee rehab exercise equipment
It's vital to perform exercises with rehab gym equipment that build mobility and range of motion after a knee injury or operation. Without proper training, scar tissue stiffens joints. Elliptical machines provide a similar range of walking-type movements to treadmills but have a lesser impact on the joints. Position recumbent bikes to support clients while they gradually rebuild their range of motion in the knee and hip joints.
Stairs build flexibility, strength and endurance. Look for rehab stairs with handrails to assist clients with their first steps. Pulley systems and resistance bands can be adjusted to reach the height of each client's knee for hamstring strengthening exercises. The squatting movement is essential for daily tasks, such as standing up from a chair or toilet or picking objects up from the ground. Leg presses keep the client in the proper position for squat repetitions. Adjust the resistance of squat exercises by adding more weights as the client improves.
Hip replacement rehab exercise equipment
Like knee injuries, hip replacement rehabilitation exercises focus on developing strength and flexibility so the client can return to normal daily activities quickly. Elliptical machines, stair climbers and resistance bands are highly valuable rehab gym equipment after hip replacements to return the client to a normal range of movement. Clients may need to use both a handrail and crutch to safely practice walking exercises, including stair climbing. Stairs for hip rehabilitation equipment should have a maximum height of 7 in. (17.8 cm).
While the client is standing, loop resistance bands around the ankle and a stationary object for resistive hip flexion, abduction and extension exercises. If the rotation is too much for clients on stationary bikes, they can start by doing half rotations or cycling backward. Combine adjustable weight sleds with multiple exercises to strengthen and condition muscles without causing the client strain. Increase the resistance level on weight sleds by adding weights.
Rehab exercise equipment for walking
Walking rehabilitation involves leg flexibility and strength exercises with gait training to restore normality into clients' lives after an injury. Therapists use bariatric parallel bars with patients that have sufficient upper body strength to hold themselves upright for support during walking rehabilitation exercises. Bariatric parallel bars are either freestanding or attached to a wall for stability. For many clients, walkers and canes are an essential rehab gym equipment for support at the start of their rehabilitation while they rebuild strength. Treadmills are useful for recovering strength, cardiovascular health and the mobility required for faster-paced movements.
Rehab exercise equipment for stroke patients
Recovering from a stroke requires a range of rehab gym equipment as well as personal care medical supplies. Hand exercisers and therapy putty are useful in the clinic and at home to recover hand strength, dexterity and fine motor coordination. Have clients stand on balance boards and use stability balls to condition leg and core muscles with balancing exercises.
Use stationary bikes to improve clients' range of motion and cardiovascular endurance. Clients who have difficulty standing after a stroke may require bodyweight supports with a harness to lessen their body weight by suspending them while they practice walking or standing exercises. Arm skates and wheels restore movement into the arm to aid flexibility training exercises.
There is a wide variety of physical therapy clinic equipment available for therapists to utilize in their practices. Specialized rehab equipment supplements general supplies for physical therapy clinics. Expanding your practice with rehab tools and equipment increases the type of client your clinic can treat.
