Nearly 6 months ago, Petoskey resident Sandy Fortier suffered from a stroke that led her to spend 32 days at McLaren Northern Michigan hospital in the ICU and Acute Rehabilitation Unit.
“When I was ready to return home, the therapists recommended I continue my rehabilitation with McLaren Northern Michigan at the Demmer Wellness Pavilion,” stated Sandy. And that is what she did, receiving occupational therapy and physical therapy two times a week.
As part of her outpatient therapy, Sandy was able to use the AlterG, an Anti-Gravity Treadmill clinically proven to reduce pain and impact on a patient’s joints. “The AlterG was wonderful. It allowed me to do more exercise without it being too hard on my body,” expressed Sandy. “I believe that this treadmill helped me to move from a hemi-walker to a cane in a short one-week period because I could really push myself.”
Using NASA technology to comfortably unweight up to 80 percent of a patient’s body weight, patients walk with reduced impact force and minimal discomfort, which can help maximize walking volume. This creates a fall-safe walking environment, promotes balance and stability, and allows patients to practice proper gait mechanics.
The AlterG Treadmill is located within the McLaren Northern Michigan Outpatient Therapy Department at the John and Marnie Demmer Wellness Pavilion and Dialysis Center, 820 Arlington Avenue in Petoskey. “Having this world-class piece of technology has allowed our patients to recover faster, improve their mobility with less pain, and challenge their balance in a safe environment. We are excited to have the AlterG AntiGravity Treadmill available for our Outpatient Therapy program and are pleased with the difference it will make in the lives of our patients,” said Adriane Corlew, MHA, OTRL, Rehab Manager.