ROBOT REHAB FOR STROKE
Each year, about 700,000 Americans have a stroke. Of those who survive, nearly half will lose the ability to walk without help. Standard rehab for survivors is slow and uses tools like stationary bikes, rubber bands and dumbbells. Now, there's a robotic revolution happening.
 |
Transcript of the story
|
|
Healthy For Life Extra
extra information about the story |
|
For More Information
where to go for help |
Bill Journey spent his life running. He ran his first Chicago Marathon in 1974.
Bill Journey
Had a stroke
"I ran it in two hours and 38 minutes and four seconds."
Then, 12 years ago, Bill had a stroke.
Bill Journey
"I said, you got to be kidding. How did I have a stroke? I just got through running this morning, and you're talking about a stroke?"
With his right side paralyzed, Bill grew dependent on a cane.
Bill Journey
"I'm so skeptical about falling, falling, falling."
Then, two years ago Bill met a robot called KineAssist.
Elliot Roth, MD
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL
"The KineAssist does a lot of what you might call the dirty work or the heavy work."
Therapists used to hold patients up, but now the robot does that. It helps improve walking and balance.
David Brown, PhD
Physical Therapist
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL
"If they lose their balance or fall over to the side, the device will catch them and will hold them up in a straight position."
That feature lets Bill move in ways he couldn't before. He even plays catch with his therapist while standing on foam. If he loses his balance, he's in safe hands.
The robot's sensors detect Bill's movements, so it can move with him. The machine weighs 500 pounds, but Bill only feels the weight of his body.
David Brown, PhD
"It gives him more freedom, more independence in his movements."
After using a cane for a decade, Bill is finally able to walk without it, after just three weeks with the KineAssist.
Bill Journey
"It helped me a lot ... a whole lot."
Now, even in a strong Chicago wind, Bill is confident he'll stay on his feet.
The KineAssist robot at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is the only one in the world. Clinical trials on the robot are currently underway. Right now, researchers are only using the robot in stroke survivors, but it could also help people who have paralysis or other problems with movement.
BACKGROUND: According to the American Stroke Association, 700,000 people in the United States have a stroke every year. That's one stroke every 45 seconds. Every three minutes, someone dies of stroke, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly one-third of stroke survivors will lose the ability to walk on their own. In 2006, Americans will pay nearly $58 billion for stroke-related medical costs and disability.
STANDARD REHAB: Physical rehabilitation is a part of every stroke survivor's recovery. The effects of a stroke that occurs on the right side of the brain include paralysis on the left side of the body, vision problems, a quick, inquisitive behavioral style, and memory loss. When a stroke occurs on the left side of the brain, side effects include paralysis on the right side of the body, speech and language problems, a slow, cautious behavioral style and memory loss.
Rehabilitation helps stroke survivors relearn skills that are lost when part of the brain is damaged. Physical therapists work with patients to help them regain the use of their limbs and establish ongoing exercise programs to help people retain their newly-learned skills. Therapists use strategies like simple tapping for patients in early recovery and re-teach more advanced patients to walk and climb stairs. The therapy is usually one-on-one with a therapist, who is always concerned about the patient's safety. Because there is a fear on both the patient's part and the therapist's part that the patient could fall, the therapist works very closely with the patient. This ensures safety, but it also can inhibit progress. David Brown, Ph.D., from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, says, "If a person is learning how to stand up again or get out of a chair the clinician has to be very close and right on top of the patient. We hold onto them so tightly that people relax and become very dependent on the clinician rather than trying to become independent of the clinician and learn how to move without the clinician."
ROBOTIC REHAB: Therapists from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago are working with a new high-tech rehab robot called KineAssist. The robot was created by a small Chicago company called Chicago PT. The robot is a 500-pound machine that helps patients with walking and balance. The wheels on the robot are connected to sensors. When a person (who is hooked up to the machine) moves, the sensors detect the movement and tell the wheels where to go. The device follows the person and does not get in the way. Even though it weighs 500 pounds, the patient does not feel the weight of the machine. He or she only moves the weight of his or her own body. The biggest benefit is this: If patients lose their balance and fall while walking with the machine, the robot catches them. Brown says, "We find that people gain confidence. They recognize that if they have a system that will catch them if they lose their balance, they can be more exploratory in their movements." Therapists at RIC have been able to get patients to move in ways they never could have without the robot. In one exercise, the patient stands on a thick piece of foam and plays catch with the therapist. The feet and ankles constantly move to steady the patient's balance on the foam. Brown says, "We see almost immediate effects. When they recognize that they can try movements that they have not tried before, it is a very enabling experience and empowering experience."
The KineAssist is the only one in the world and is currently in clinical trials at RIC. It is only being studied with stroke survivors right now but might also help patients with other types of paralysis and movement disorders.
Katie Bernard, PR Manager
345 East Superior St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 238-6019
kbernard@ric.org
www.ric.org
Copyright © 2006 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
|
|
|
|
REVERSING SCLERODERMA
A risky treatment could be the answer for patients with serious forms of this disease. 
COLONOSCOPY-NOT JUST FOR COLON CANCER
A virtual colonoscopy detects a wide range of diseases outside the colon, which could save lives. June is national Scleroderma Awareness Month!
CLEARER MRI
A new invention helps doctors get clearer images of people who can't lie still.
HELP FOR BLOOD PRESSURE
An investigational device could help patients with this condition stay healthier.
SEEING THE HEART IN 3D
Researchers in the Netherlands are using virtual reality to see the heart like never before.
PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE
A vaccine increases survival for patients with this deadly form of cancer.
NEW HELP FOR ALCOHOLICS
People who suffer from addiction may have a new option in the form of a pill.
TREATING URINARY INCONTINENCE
A sling helps women with this common problem find relief.
ROBOT REHAB FOR STROKE
A new robot is helping stroke patients recover without a therapist.
STEM CELLS HEAL HEARTS
Donor stem cells may be the answer for patients who suffer a heart attack.
BREATHING WITH EMPHYSEMA
A new, nonsurgical procedure could help patients breathe more easily.
DOPPLER PREDICTS STROKE
The same technology used to forecast a storm is helping doctors understand strokes and migraines.
BETTER BYPASS SURGERY
Cutting-edge technology allows doctors to fix a coronary bypass operation while the patient is still in surgery.
BETTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANT TREATMENT
A new treatment could reduce the risk of rejection within six months of a transplant.
WRAPPING RADIATION AROUND TUMORS
New technology allows doctors to target tumors with better precision.
CUTTING-EDGE SURGERY EDUCATION
Huge monitors and microscopic cameras are making it easier for surgeons to teach residents complicated procedures.
LUNG CANCER VACCINE
A vaccine under study offers hope for some patients who are diagnosed with this deadly cancer.
EASIER COLON CANCER TEST
A blood test may be the future in screening for colon cancer.
STEM CELLS FIGHT LUPUS
Using a patient's own stem cells could provide a cure for this devastating disease.
NEW SINUS RELIEF WITH A BALLOON
A new technique pushes sinus blockages out of the way and results in less pain.
HUNTINGTON'S HELP
A drug already approved in Europe and Canada could offer hope to patients who are plagued by this disease.
INHALED CHEMO
A new twist on standard chemotherapy offers less side effects and better precision.
STRENGTHENING BRITTLE BONES
A drug to treat osteoporosis is helping patients with a disease that weakens their bones.
BIRD FLU: BE PREPARED
Find out what you can do to prepare for the flu that experts think will hit the states in the coming months.
|
Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.
