Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is a rehabilitation technique designed to help individuals regain walking ability and improve mobility. This therapy offers a controlled and supportive environment, allowing people to practice walking patterns they might otherwise find challenging. It helps individuals gradually progress towards independent movement and improved function.
What is Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training?
Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) involves a person walking on a treadmill while a specialized harness system supports a percentage of their body weight. This system typically includes an overhead support structure, such as a gantry frame, from which the harness is suspended. The harness is then connected to this overhead support.
The objective of this support is to reduce the weight placed on an individual’s lower limbs and joints. By partially offloading body weight, the training allows for earlier and safer practice of walking mechanics. This helps decrease stress on the joints, making movement less painful and more accessible.
How it Supports Recovery and Mobility
Reducing the amount of body weight an individual needs to support enables them to practice gait patterns that would be difficult without assistance. This partial support creates a safe and controlled environment, reducing the fear of falling and encouraging repetitive practice of walking. The ability to perform numerous repetitions of gait cycles is an advantage over traditional overground walking training.
This repetitive, task-specific training promotes neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s capacity to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. For individuals with neurological conditions, practicing correct gait patterns can stimulate the brain to re-learn and rebuild neural pathways, enhancing motor control. This process helps improve walking mechanics and coordination.
Beyond neuroplasticity, BWSTT offers several physical benefits that contribute to improved mobility. It enhances balance, as the reduced weight bearing allows for a more stable upright posture and consistent stepping. The repeated motion strengthens lower extremity muscles and improves cardiovascular endurance, as individuals can sustain walking for longer periods.
Conditions That Benefit from This Training
BWSTT benefits individuals recovering from neurological and orthopedic conditions that affect walking ability.
Stroke
For those who have experienced a stroke, BWSTT helps re-establish neural pathways and improve gait symmetry, speed, and motor recovery. It allows for safe walking practice.
Spinal Cord Injury
Individuals with spinal cord injuries benefit from BWSTT, as it can stimulate central pattern generators in the spinal cord and aid in locomotor training. It has shown promise in improving walking ability for those with incomplete spinal cord injuries.
Parkinson’s Disease
Patients with Parkinson’s disease, who often experience postural instability and balance issues, may find BWSTT effective for gait training, leading to improvements in motor functions and gait parameters.
Other Conditions
Cerebral palsy patients can see improvements in gait, motor skills, posture, and balance with BWSTT. For those with multiple sclerosis, this training has shown promise in enhancing functional mobility. Individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries or severe orthopedic injuries and surgeries, such as total knee or hip replacements, ACL reconstructions, or Achilles repairs, can use BWSTT for early weight-bearing practice without full load, facilitating a gradual return to walking and running.
What to Expect During a Session
A typical BWSTT session begins with the individual being fitted into a specialized harness, worn over their clothes. This harness is then connected to an overhead suspension system, which allows a trained professional to control the amount of body weight support. The amount of support can range from full assistance to a small percentage of body weight, typically starting between 35% and 50% for those with significant impairments.
During the session, a physical therapist or trained professional supervises, adjusting both the level of body weight support and the treadmill speed. The therapist may also provide manual assistance to guide leg movements and ensure a proper walking pattern. The goal is to maintain a good quality walking pattern and practice normal movement.
As the individual progresses and their walking ability improves, the amount of body weight support is gradually reduced, and the treadmill speed or duration of the session may be increased. Sessions typically last for a specific period, often around 30-60 minutes, with the exact duration and frequency tailored to the individual’s specific needs and recovery goals.