Generous donation allows Treloar’s to purchase Innowalk

We are so delighted to have taken delivery of the new Innowalk this academic year and our physiotherapists have been busy ensuring it is regularly used and benefiting many of our students.

About the Innowalk

The Innowalk Pro is a robotic rehabilitation trainer and specialised walker which allows our students with physical disabilities and complex needs to stand and move their legs and arms whilst fully supported.

Even with the other specialist equipment that we have available on-site, this is something that can be difficult for our most complex students who may have no independent mobility.

The Innowalk helps to improve the physical health of our students: it allows them opportunities to exercise thereby improving their cardiovascular fitness; it promotes deeper breathing which can have a positive impact on the incidence of chest infections and the movement of the students legs and the increased cardiovascular effort improves circulation to the students’ extremities. The movement of the Innowalk helps to develop range of movement in muscles and joints and improve the comfort of our students who experience high tone by reducing this. As with other forms of exercise the Innowalk can also have a positive impact on bowel function. Alongside the physical benefits there are emotional ones for students who are simply unable to undertake the action of moving their arms and legs without intervention of a carer or therapist.

Weekly use showing incredible results

One of Treloar’s students has been using the Innowalk once a week for the last five weeks. She started using the Innowalk for 10 minutes a week and has now progressed to 15-20 minutes. Her muscles are tight so using the Innowalk really helps the muscles in her legs relax and she has been able to work on keeping her head in a more upright position which she can do as the session progresses each week. Using the Innowalk is a great form of exercise for her and has really helped her digestion, making her less reliant on medication.

In the last five weeks, her strength has improved incredibly—as in this time she has gone from being able to use her specialist walker to do 10 steps to an amazing 50 steps without having to stop and rest. She can even push herself off to initiate the movement of her specialist walker—all thanks to her weekly use of the Innowalk.

Erin Graham, Physiotherapy Assistant, said:

It’s amazing to see how much the students enjoy being able to stand whilst benefiting from the movement. The Innowalk offers students who are unable to access any other standing or walking equipment an opportunity to experience what the rest of us take for granted. There is nothing else like it. Thank you!

Kaylie Bell, Highly Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist, said:

Just to see that smile, a young lady who has recently been very demotivated, to ask to go faster and higher, laughing as she goes. Just joyful to watch.

Poppy, Treloar College student, commented:

I like using the Innowalk because it is better for my tone and posture. I like being able to stand and be taller than other people. The Innowalk lets me be active; it is difficult for me to walk without it.