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Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Which is Better A Machine or a Human Therapist

We all know the answer... but MIT has a new field called robotic therapy which has great and promising results to CVA patients.

Victims of a stroke are generally weeks, months, even years in physical therapy. Even though many attempts are made to return mobility to them, most stroke victims make no real visible improvements in mobility. Robotic therapists, however, are changing that. The advantage robotic therapy has over human therapy is constancy. It's very difficult for a human therapist to take the time necessary to make true strides in improving a patient's mobility. Robots, however, never tire, slow, or change pace-- of course, the repetitive motions needed in order to properly work the affected parts of body of the stroke victim don't affect a machine. In addition, robotic therapists generally have bio-feedback mechanisms. These mechanisms help to increase improvement in the affected parts of the body.

Some robotic therapists are even designed to act as both coach and therapist, using jokes, humor, and encouragement to help patients get though the long and tiring process of physical therapy.


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