Technology plays a vital role in our health industry and physical therapy is one of the sectors that improved its way of healing patients.
With new technologies, physical therapy institutions like Miracle Physical Therapy Clinic found a way to develop new methods and treatments that will significantly lower the time for rehabilitation and help them come up with a better diagnosis. Click here to learn more about their business and the technologies they use.
All the technological advancements bring new ways for healing patients such as, virtual care which makes interaction with all people easier, more engaging, impactful, and fun.
In today’s article, we will highlight three technologies that had the biggest impact on the physical therapy industry.
Wii-Hab
Can you imagine a decade ago if someone told you that games can be part of physical therapy? – Well, that is where the Wii-Hab comes in handy. This physical rehabilitation uses the Nintendo Wii or Nintendo Switch games that promote physical activities.
Since Nintendo has motion-sensitive controllers, so patients can play games like boxing, bowling, or other physical games that require repetitive movements much similar to the exercises that patients perform when they go to physical therapy.
Even though these games involve movement, there are still some specific exercises that need to be followed for more themed treatment. All in all, patients that tried physical therapy using Nintendo said that they enjoyed the treatment and liked the challenge.
Now Nintendo has many more games available that involve physical activities, so make sure you consult with your physical therapist before trying any of them.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality isn’t something new, but we still haven’t seen this technology incorporated in many industries. Virtual reality creates an immersive and interactive computer-generated world that allows you to experience something digitally.
Even though virtual reality is mainly used for entertainment, it can find its use in physical therapy treatments.
Virtual reality can provide a more engaging environment for patients while completing physical therapy exercises. Instead of walking around the clinic, patients can walk down in every imaginable world recreated using virtual reality.
This doesn’t necessarily improve the patients’ health condition, and if used alone, it only enhances the physical therapy treatments. However, you can combine virtual reality and games using Nintendo or PlayStation using motion trackers. That way you’ll be able to follow exercise in a virtual world.
There are many physical therapy clinics and universities that use such technology in inpatient treatment. For example, the University of South Florida is using virtual reality that helps patients who have disabilities or suffering from traumatic injuries or strokes. This VR system is called CAREN (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment) and it is designed to improve the ability to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal as well as neurological disorders.
Tele-Rehab
Telemedicine is an important development for the health care industry. Using tele-Rahab patients can now access care on demand, and they are more likely to see a doctor when they need one.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 700,000 people receive knee replacements each year, but only 30% of them go for post-surgery physical therapy. They are discouraged by having to drive to the clinic and think that physical therapy takes too much time.
That is where telemedicine comes in handy. Using this technology most of the people’s fears will be gone, and they are encouraged to go with the treatment since it is much easier.
Nowadays, they can visit physical therapy sessions that don’t require special devices from the comforts of their home. That way the physical therapy process is much easier for the patients.
Final Words
Many technological advancements are used in the physical therapy process. New technologies can determine injuries better, and come up with specific therapy that will shorten the time for rehabilitation.
We hope to see even newer and more advanced technological devices that will help in the process of healing and body recovery in the future.
