Vestibular Therapy

Therapeutic Life Skills now provides balance equipment for the treatment of vestibular and balance problems for both adults and children of all ages.  Featuring four test protocols, five training modes and intuitive "touch-screen" operation, the Balance System SD™ allows testing and training in both static and dynamic formats.

Extremely versatile, it is the only system that provides fast, accurate Fall Risk Assessment and Conditioning for older adults plus closed-chain, weight-bearing assessment and training for lower extremity patients.

Using this unique device, clinicians can assess neuromuscular control by quantifying the ability to maintain dynamic bilateral and unilateral postural stability on a static or unstable surface. Use any of four test protocols including fall risk, athletic single leg stability, limits of stability and postural stability.The Balance System SD also serves as a valuable training device to enhance kinesthetic abilities that may provide some degree of compensation for impaired proprioceptive reflex mechanisms following injury. An easy-to-follow touch-screen format makes the system simple to learn and operate, leading the user step-by-step through testing protocols and training modes.

Testmonials

"Our Biodex Balance System has been extensively utilized over the past five years. Practically every patient that we see with a lower extremity problem does some amount of postural stability training on the device.

We primarily use our Biodex Balance System for improvement of neuromuscular control in patients who have an acute lateral ankle sprain, chronic ankle instability, patellofemoral dysfunction, knee instability, or an ACL reconstruction.

It’s great to have a device that provides us with a way to train and objectively evaluate closed-chain function that requires simultaneous activation of muscles at the ankle, knee and hip.

We would not want to give up our Biodex Balance System. It is easy to use, extremely durable, and provides a challenging task that we consider essential for restoration of optimal lower extremity function. I would certainly recommend it to other clinicians."

Gary Wilkerson, EdD, ATC
University of Tennessee/Chattanooga

 "Do we like our Biodex Balance System? You bet. It’s great!
We put a wide variety of patients on our three systems each day. Every knee surgery, all our ACL reconstructions, post-op arthroscopics, total joint, total hip, total knee replacements, plus every ankle problem. The Biodex Balance System is a wonderful tool for working with any of these pathologies.

Our systems see constant use. We average about 75 patients per day on these units and so far our units have a perfect durability record. That’s important because we really depend on them to be one of the cornerstones of rehab at our clinic. We believe that balance training - proprioceptive training - is a very important part of the rehab process. In the long run, it may prove as important as strength training. Some of our more active sports doctors are already using Biodex Balance Reports to help make return to play decisions. This is especially so with ankle inversion/eversion injuries.

When you first see this machine you’ll probably think to yourself that it looks like a glorified wobble board. That’s because at first glance, it seems too simple. but once you’ve tried it out, you’ll think: ‘Wow, this is really high tech - and it’s easy to use!

The Biodex Balance System is extremely versatile and very applicable to a clinical setting. If you are doing lower extremity rehab, you need one in your clinic!"

Joe Black, PT, ATC, SCS, PTS, CSATC
Appalachian Therapy Center - Maryville, TN

 "I’ve had good success with my Biodex Balance System. I’ve been using it with patients that have Parkinson’s Disease and balance has improved in 60% of the cases.

I put patients on the Balance System prior to using any other intervention (including therapeutic exercises, transfer training and gait training.) The patients perform both LOS and dynamic training during each session. Sessions are scheduled for the same time each visit to account for medication schedules.

This protocol has been working very well. For example, one 74-year old patient has improved from BSI of 15.9 to 3.7 in four weeks (11 treatments). Another patient, age 78, has improved from 4.9 to 3.2 in four weeks (10 treatments).

The objective results provided by the Balance System encourages patients by providing feedback they can easily understand. Even more important, these patients are noticing significant improvement in functional balance at home. I would certainly recommend this system to other clinics whose clientele suffer from Parkinson’s Disease."

Trevor Meyerowitz, PT
Owner, Trevor Meyerowitz Physical Therapy - Baca Raton, FL

"I have used the Biodex Balance System for two years with a wide variety of patients ranging from geriatrics to professional athletes. It is a great resource to have in the clinic when dealing with hip, knee, and ankle dysfunction patients, and is especially beneficial with the athletic population.

As a rule, athletes are very competitive and hate to be shown their functional deficits. The Biodex Balance System shows their proprioceptive weakness and challenges them to improve. The Balance System test mode provides a standard baseline to evaluate the athlete in a static or dynamic nature. The computer generates a print-out of the standard deviations of correctional mistakes and the percentage of time the athlete stays in a particular quadrant. It then compares this to normative balance data that Biodex has provided. This allows the objective measures of the athlete to be trained, and then easily reevaluated and assessed to quantify proprioceptive improvement.

The Biodex Balance System is the only piece of equipment in our clinic that can objectively measure and compare to normative data the proprioceptive deficits of a patient. It also works well as a simple training tool, providing a challenging and competitive way to motivate athletes.

In my opinion, the Biodex Balance System is a very cost-effective choice of capital equipment for most physical therapy or athletic training facilities. I would highly recommend this product to any orthopedic clinic, athletic training room, rehab clinic or balance clinic because of the true objective measurements and normative data the system offers to both patient and clinician."

- Lance Kelly MPT, ATC
Hughston Rehabilitation
Hughston Clinic, P.C.
Columbus, Ga