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KOC Therapy Offers Microgravity Treadmill and Force Plates to Track Recovery Progress
October is National Physical Therapy Month, a time to raise awareness about the benefits of physical therapy and how getting and staying active improves quality of life.
KOC Therapy is offering new tools to provide quantifiable results for patients, athletic teams and insurance companies.
Therapy Director Russ Johnson said KOC providers are now using technology like a microgravity treadmill and force plates to offer measurable progress and help patients recover from injury with confidence.
Johnson added that the Boost 3 Microgravity Treadmill utilizes an air bubble cushion to control the amount of weight an individual bears with each step.
“For example, an athlete recovering from an ACL injury can initiate mobility training earlier and progressively return to walking and jogging using the microgravity treadmill, beginning at just 15 percent body weight and advancing toward full recovery,” Johnson said. “It’s an excellent tool for restoring confidence after injury.”
Johnson said tools like this were initially utilized by large athletic programs, but now physical therapists are embracing them to track progress and reassure patients when they’re ready to get back to full activity.
Force plates can work similarly, especially after a baseline is established. VALD Performance ForceDecks are equipped with sensors that measure ground reaction forces, including jumps, strength, power, asymmetry and more.
Johnson credits physical therapists Markus Pelger and Matt Harrington for exploring the technology, conducting outreach in the community and testing athletes.
“We have evaluated whole teams of healthy athletes to record their individual baseline results with squat and jump tests,” Johnson said. “Then, if a player is injured and in the recovery process, we can put them on the force plate and see if there is still weakness on one side compared to their baseline. This data can be important to prevent a premature return to full sport, which can put the athlete at increased risk for further injury.”
Johnson noted that while these tools are helpful, they can’t replace the insight and expertise of a highly qualified physical therapist who is invested in a patient’s recovery.
He is proud of the KOC model of therapy.
“We follow a quality model – we strive for a one-on-one patient model, and we only use licensed therapists and therapist assistants,” Johnson said.
KOC Therapy has been recognized as the best in physical therapy by the News Sentinel’s Knox Stars Community Choice Awards four years in a row.
Johnson is proud of that distinction, and says at KOC, patients can benefit from a complete continuum of care, from physician consultation and MRI to surgery, therapy and athletic training.
“At KOC, you get the whole team,” Johnson said.
The microgravity treadmill and force plates are available for active therapy patients at the KOC Therapy Weisgarber location.
To schedule an appointment with KOC Therapy at one of six locations across East Tennessee, call 865-512-1300.