FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What exactly is gait training?
Gait training is a form of physical therapy that can help you stand and walk better. Most likely, you would need gait training if you've suffered an injury from an accident or endured severe illness. The focus of gait training increases your mobility by strengthening muscles and joints, boosting endurance, improving balance and posture, stimulating muscle memory, and re-training your legs for repetitive walking.
To effectively administer gait training, physical therapists use mobility aids like the Meywalk 2000 Gait Trainer and walking assist equipment like gait belts. Also, the physical therapist will require you to walk on a treadmill, do bodyweight core exercises, and use muscle-strengthening equipment like resistance bands and light hand weights. They may also ask you to do leg lifts, sitting down/standing up drills, and practice stepping over things.
What is the difference between a walker and a gait trainer?
Gait trainers and walkers promote independence by allowing you to walk more comfortably. But gait trainers specifically cater to children and adults who need to develop weight-bearing strength and walking skills. On the other hand, walkers and wheeled walkers accommodate people with partial or complete weight-bearing ability and with more balance and stability than gait walker users.
Unlike walkers, gait trainers feature varying levels of support with modular accessories and products like Thigh Prompts for the Trekker Gait Trainer. You can include or remove the training aids according to need and ability. In addition, gait trainers can cover the range of teaching a person to take a few steps to move comfortably with a weight-bearing gait.
What is a posterior gait trainer?
A posterior gait trainer is a type of gait trainer for individuals lacking the functional gait skills or posture to maneuver with a standard walker. While supporting an upright posture and natural walking technique, the posteriors gait promotes cognitive and neuromuscular learning at a much lower starting point. As a result, people with minimal mobility can receive increased cardiovascular capacity, muscle development, and gait control. Most models feature a pelvic stabilizer, seat harness, ankle prompts, positioning bar, and one-directional rear wheels.
Does insurance cover gait walkers?
Medicare Part B and most State Medicaid programs cover gait training, provided they are medically necessary. Medicare requires that a Medicare-approved physician prescribes a gait walker to you for temporary or permanent home use. Like walkers, wheelchairs, walking canes, and rollators, Medicare Plan B considers gait walkers as Durable Medical Equipment (DME). As such, it will pay 80% of the cost of your gait trainer when you purchase it through a DME supplier enrolled in Medicare. You are responsible for the remaining 20% of the price. Also, many states’ Medicaid programs generally follow the same rules as Medicare.
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