Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation is the only facility to have three Lokomat® devices at one site and was the first in the Delaware Valley to introduce patients to the device.

Primarily used with patients who have experienced a stroke or spinal cord or brain injury, the Lokomat takes a longstanding form of physical rehabilitation – treadmill therapy – several steps further than ever before.

Using a harness and a computer-controlled mechanical suit, the Lokomat helps strengthen and train impaired muscle groups, facilitating the process of relearning how to walk. With the patient supported in a harness above a treadmill, a robotic exoskeleton moves the body in a natural walking pattern, while also measuring and regulating how much effort the patient exerts.

Through repeated use, the Lokomat stimulates the legs and neurological system so that they gradually reorganize once familiar walking patterns. The expectation in some cases is that - eventually - muscle mass and body systems recuperate enough so the patient can walk on his or her own.

The Lokomat represents a step forward in walking therapy, which otherwise typically requires two or more physical therapists to manually help a patient's legs move, an intervention that is difficult to sustain. Compared to therapist-assisted walking therapy, the Lokomat in combination with traditional therapy helps patients walk in a more consistent manner for longer periods of time, which leads to better outcomes.

Jefferson is the only facility to have three Lokomat devices at one site and was the first in the Delaware Valley to introduce patients to the device.

The Lokomat:

• Allows the patient to contribute to movement but provides the force necessary for symmetrical walking
• Has synchronized robotic legs that allow patients to walk safely, utilizing normal gait patterns
• Allows therapists to adjust the amount of weight-bearing to each patient's individual rehabilitation plan
• Walking speed can be varied to patients' tolerance and gradually increased to reproduce normal gait patterns

Watch this video to see the Lokomat in action: