HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts recently introduced 2 new innovative technologies to enhance treatment for people with neurological injuries and illnesses.

They are:

The AutoAmbulator is a highly sophisticated robotic treadmill that makes it possible for non-ambulatory patients to walk. The AutoAmbulator has an overhead hoist system designed to safely support the patient while the machine's robotics move the patient's legs. This allows the individual to achieve reciprocal and symmetrical gait patterns that can be transferred to ground ambulation.

The AutoAmbulator is most often used with patients who have had strokes and brain or spinal cord injuries as well as those with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Rehabilitation Hospital of Western Massachusetts is one of only 22 facilities in the United States currently using this FDA approved technology.

SaeboFlex is a customized orthotic device that allows people with upper extremity paralysis to flex their fingers and grasp even the smallest of objects.

SaeboFlex positions the wrist and fingers into extension in preparation for functional activities. Then the patient grasps an object by voluntarily flexing the fingers. The device's extension spring-loaded system assists the patient in reopening the hand to release the object.

SaeboFlex allows the patient to begin using his/her hand immediately, and unilateral arm training can begin early on in the rehabilitation process. It also allows the patient to control finger flexors while increasing flexor strength.