Body weight supported treadmill (BWSTT) training is a rehabilitation method that helps individuals improve their walking ability. This therapy uses a specialized system to reduce the amount of body weight an individual bears while walking on a treadmill. It provides a safe, controlled environment for practicing repetitive walking movements, which is beneficial for those with impaired mobility. BWSTT facilitates gait retraining, promoting proper movement patterns.
Components and Operational Principles
A body weight supported treadmill system consists of three main parts: a harness, an overhead support frame, and a treadmill. The harness is worn by the individual and attaches to the overhead support frame. This suspension system offloads a portion of the user’s body weight.
The amount of weight support is precisely adjusted by a therapist. As a person’s strength and balance improve, the level of support can be gradually decreased, encouraging them to bear more of their own weight. The treadmill provides a moving surface for repetitive walking, with its speed also adjustable to match the individual’s progress and therapeutic goals.
Conditions Benefiting from Therapy
Body weight supported treadmill therapy benefits various medical conditions affecting mobility, balance, and strength.
Neurological Conditions
Individuals recovering from a stroke often use this therapy to regain motor control and improve walking speed and endurance. For those with spinal cord injuries, BWSTT can facilitate early upright mobility. The therapy also supports individuals with traumatic brain injuries for gait retraining and balance improvement. Patients with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis can experience improved walking speed, endurance, and gait symmetry.
Orthopedic and Developmental Conditions
BWSTT is applied in post-surgical rehabilitation for lower extremity injuries, allowing for earlier initiation of walking. Children with developmental delays, including those with cerebral palsy, have shown improvements in gait velocity and gross motor skills with this training.
Rehabilitation Advantages
Body weight supported treadmill training offers several therapeutic benefits.
Improved Gait and Neuroplasticity
Reduced weight bearing allows individuals to practice more symmetrical and efficient walking, avoiding compensatory habits. This repetitive, task-specific practice promotes neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.
Enhanced Balance and Strength
The system helps enhance balance and coordination. It also contributes to increased endurance and muscle strengthening in the lower extremities, as repetitive stepping builds muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness.
Reduced Fear of Falling
A key advantage is the reduced fear of falling, which can be a common barrier to traditional gait training. This encourages earlier initiation of walking and greater patient confidence.
What to Expect During Therapy
During a body weight supported treadmill therapy session, the individual is fitted with a specialized harness over their clothing. This harness connects to an overhead suspension system, which a therapist adjusts to offload a specific percentage of the person’s body weight. The amount of support is carefully determined based on the individual’s strength, balance, and rehabilitation goals.
Once the harness is secured and weight support is set, the treadmill starts at a slow speed. The therapist provides manual assistance at the hips, knees, or feet to guide the legs through proper stepping motions and ensure correct gait patterns. Sessions last for a set duration, often 30 to 60 minutes. Progression is managed by gradually increasing treadmill speed, reducing body weight support, or introducing inclines, depending on the individual’s tolerance and improvement.