Robotic Rehabilitation

Robotic rehabilitation uses computer-controlled robotic systems to deliver intensive, highly repetitive and precisely guided movement therapy for people recovering from neurological injury. It is designed mainly for patients who are relearning to walk or to use an arm after a stroke, spinal-cord injury, brain injury or progressive neurological disease, when very large numbers of accurate, well-formed repetitions are needed to retrain the nervous system. Robotic systems can support, guide and gently challenge a patient through far more repetitions than would be possible by hand alone, while measuring every movement to track progress objectively. Many people travel abroad for robotic rehabilitation because these systems and the intensive programmes built around them are concentrated in dedicated centres, offering a level of technology and daily intensity that is hard to find close to home.