Injuries are part of an active life in the Shire, and getting back to full fitness safely is just as important as the initial treatment. Specialised recovery equipment like the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill has been a game changer for many patients working through injury rehabilitation.
What is an anti-gravity treadmill?
An anti-gravity treadmill uses differential air pressure technology to reduce the effective bodyweight a person carries while walking or running — by as much as 80%. This allows movement and gait retraining to begin much earlier in recovery than would otherwise be possible, without overloading a healing injury.
Who benefits from reduced-weight-bearing training?
- Post-surgical patients — those recovering from lower limb surgery who need to rebuild walking and running patterns while protecting healing tissue
- Runners returning from injury — allowing a graded return to running mechanics without the full impact load
- People with joint pain — such as knee or hip osteoarthritis, who benefit from movement without the discomfort of full weight-bearing
- Neurological rehabilitation — supporting safe, supported gait retraining
The benefits
Reduced-weight-bearing training allows earlier reintroduction of functional movement, helps maintain cardiovascular fitness during recovery, supports correct movement patterns before returning to full-impact activity, and can reduce the psychological hesitation that often comes with returning to running or walking after injury.
How it fits into a rehabilitation program
This kind of equipment is one tool among several — it works best as part of a broader, individualised physiotherapy program that also addresses strength, flexibility and the underlying cause of the injury, ensuring the improvements made on specialised equipment carry over to everyday movement and sport.
If you're recovering from injury or surgery and want to explore how our recovery equipment can support your rehabilitation, book an assessment with our team in the Sutherland Shire.
Written by Aaron Babb, MAppSc Physiotherapy — Founder & Director, Aevum Health & Physiotherapy.