Rehabilitation

Power Assisted exercise, or Induced Rhythmic Motion, as it is was historically known, was originally devised and developed as a rehabilitation tool to treat polio, by a physiotherapist named Bernard Stauffer.

Since then, Shapemaster have pioneered the development of power assisted exercise to treat a wide range of conditions such as MS, ME, Scoliosis, Back Pain, Motor Neurone Disease, Cerebral Palsy, Acquired Brain Injuries, Stroke, Parkinsons, Muscular Dystrophy, Polio and many others.

The Shapemaster equipment is a key offering of the Brain and Spinal Injury Centre (BASIC) in Manchester (www.basiccharity.co.uk). BASIC is the only centre of its type in the world, which has gained clinical and technical acceptance from the medical fraternity and now 600 new patients are referred annually from Hope Hospital, the Manchester Hospital specialising in brain and spinal injuries.

Central to the treatment that BASIC provides is the suite of Shapemaster equipment which has been jointly developed between BASIC experts and Shapemaster engineers to specifically provide the type of motor assisted exercise that the sufferers of brain and spinal injuries require in order to speed re-habilitation and recovery.

Evidence has also shown that assisted exercise can provide a gentle, enjoyable form of exercise which is an effective preventative solution, helping to strengthen muscles to aid fall prevention, lower blood pressure, improve circulation and reduce the risk of diabetes and various other health conditions.

When used passively, the equipment provides relaxation for the user and also stimulates circulation, whilst re-training the muscles in functional movement patterns and preventing the muscles from atrophying.

Doctors and Physiotherapists have long recognised the benefits of repetitive rhythmic movement as a form of rehabilitation, however for a physiotherapist to conduct this with a patient on a one on one basis can be time consuming and expensive and many patients can experience spasms that can make this difficult. Shapemaster’s power assisted exercise equipment provides a safe alternative, which is time and cost effective and can greatly and speedily enhance the benefits gained from a rehabilitation or physiotherapy program.

Depending on the development and ability of the individual patient, a progression can then be made to using the equipment actively, so users actively train with their own muscle strength, with a variety of settings designed to offer varying levels of resistance. Unlike conventional equipment, patients actually get the best results working with the equipment, rather than against it.

By using the equipment actively, patients can safely experience even faster improvements to muscle strength, mobility, balance and co-ordination. In addition, they can be assured of an all over body workout as the combination of equipment on the Shapemaster Easytone circuit is specifically designed to exercise all major muscle groups.