This year, at Askham Rehab, we’ve been fortunate to integrate robotic-led rehabilitation into our person-centred bespoke services – and enabled our patients to take their rehab to the next level.

Rehabilitation, within a healthcare setting, is increasingly used to help individuals who require physiological, cognitive and functional support, whilst improving the chances of a healthy recovery. Whilst there are many ways that an individual may benefit from such services, they are often needed primarily by those recovering from a sustained injury; whether that be physical trauma, or the effects of a neurological condition.

Stroke, for example, is one of the leading causes of long-term disability in adults. The injury sustained to the brain often leads to problems that spread elsewhere in the body; from physical impairments, to depression and anxiety.

The need for rehabilitation, though, spans much wider than this. It’s often used to treat those who are born with physical disabilities, too, as well as those experiencing weaknesses associated with natural ageing.

In many of these cases, rehabilitation is offered in the form of assisted movement. Following an injury, for instance, an individual may be unable to move a particular limb. They may have even suffered hemiplegia – that is, they are paralysed on one side of their body.

Being bedridden for long periods of time, however, leads to a wealth of complications – including muscle loss and joint stiffness. This ultimately halts recovery, and reduces the chance of that individual returning to a normal life.

The Intervention of Robotic-Led Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation exercises, therefore, are imperative in ensuring that these muscles remain active in the safest way possible. Whilst our nurses and therapists are trained and specialise in providing these treatments, it can often be time consuming to achieve the repetitions and intensity needed to make a lasting improvement in function. Robotic rehabilitation machinery, on the other hand, can take on this responsibility, giving healthcare assistants and therapists the opportunity to offer improved services to all those that need it.

Robotic rehabilitation equipment, too, allows individuals to recover in the comfort of their own home once they are discharged from a healthcare facility.

Offering support with balance, gait and muscle movement, robotic-led rehabilitation mimics the skilled hands of a rehabilitation specialist. Before offering the treatment to the individual, a therapist will record the tailored exercises by moving the device accordingly. The device then ‘memorises’ the movements, before performing them on the individual, as many times as is required; adjusting the strength, speed or emphasis as needed to respond to the patient.

In the case of learning to walk again, robotic rehabilitation equipment not only helps them learn how to shift weight, but also regain balance and gait.

In June 2020, at Askham Village Community, we started transforming our patients’ lives for the better with the integration of sensor-assisted technology and robotics. Together, with the launch of Askham Rehab, we are able to offer high quality robotic-led rehabilitation to those that need it.

We paired our new equipment with a life-changing strategy that, since, has helped our patients recover at an incredible rate. This strategy involves creating care plans that focus on goal-driven, person-centred therapy, helping individuals recover more efficiently – and always with independence in mind.

Our Technology

Our technology suite now includes:

• The Amadeo: A robotic and sensor-based rehabilitation device for the use of hands, offering assistive and interactive therapies for individual fingers and thumb movements;
• The Myro: A sensor-based surface with interactive applications. Its force control and touch applications have been designed specifically for people with deficits in motor function, concentration, selective attention, visual-spatial perception, and spatial-perceptive ability.
• The Pablo: A sensor-based rehabilitation device for unilateral and bilateral training, allowing for interactive therapies for the whole body, including hand, fingers, arms, legs, trunk, and head.
• The Omego: The Omego is a robotic-assisted device that is designed to support lower parts of the body. It has two separate drives that assist with gait therapy, supporting effortless and focused mobilisation, ultimately helping the patient improve their motor, sensory and cognitive functions.