Just Walk : Our Wearable Resistance Belt

Learn how our wearable resistance belt came about and why it's so important to patients of all ages suffering from a wide variety of injuries and diseases. 

Oftentimes, we come to appreciate life’s most basic luxuries only once they are gone. We see, hear, feel, smell, taste, and walk without any deliberate, conscious effort. Yet, these facilities are arguably the most essential to our quality of life.  Anyone that has suffered from even a minor physical injury harming one of these facilities knows to what extent we take our physical health for granted.  The most unassuming among them, our proprioceptive abilities. 

Proprioception is sometimes referred to as our hidden sixth sense. It is our body’s sensory ability to feel where it is in space, which directly affects the movement of muscles and joints. 

It is essential to balance and gait. Without it, we are unable to walk straight, or up and down stairs, lift light objects, or even carry out simple controlled movements such as bringing a spoon to our mouth. 

The Just Walk wearable resistance belt developed by Salute and Chaban Medical, a leading medical device production Israel company, has revolutionized motor movement rehabilitation.  It’s simple design offers huge benefits to patients of all ages suffering from a wide variety of injuries and diseases including orthopedic and spinal cord injuries, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), CVA (stroke), and degenerative diseases such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and CP (Cerebral Palsy). 

The neuromotion therapy device was originally constructed as an exercise tool to add challenge to simple at home fitness routines. Adding resistance means harder work, and a more intense workout. When used in sports, it was shown to improve accuracy and muscle memory. 

However, as a rehabilitation device, the opposite was seen to be true. When adding resistance to the movements of patients with compromised proprioception, the amount of energy required actually decreases. An analysis of movement speed, accuracy, and energy expenditure shows that Just Walk’s brilliant design allows patients to use 50% less energy due to its ability to improve accuracy of movement by increasing approximation.  The resistance acts to intensify input to the muscles and joints, thereby enhancing the proprioceptive feedback to the brain. 

As a rehabilitative device, Just Walk improves balance and gait over time. Repetition not only retrains the muscles but also the nerves and brain.  It is effective at speeding up recovery and significantly reducing the risk of further injury. In patients with neurological damage, wearing the device instantly improves fine and gross motor skills, drastically improving their quality of life. 

It is also beneficial as a preventative measure among the elderly population. As a result of sarcopenia, the progressive decrease in muscle mass, and increased risk of osteoporosis, seniors are susceptible to falls and the dangerous complications that can follow. 

Research shows that 1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 falls each year, and 34% of all falls result in traumatic brain injury. Additionally, over 85% of hip fractures are caused by a fall. Hip fractures in older patients require invasive surgery to restore mobility, posing even further risks of post - surgical complications such as infection, bedsores, blood clots, UTIs (urinary tract infections), and pneumonia. Preventative physiotherapy and exercise is invaluable to the quality of life of the elderly. 

It’s no wonder that rehabilitation equipment such as Just Walk is changing physiotherapy clinics and geriatric centers worldwide.