Abstract

There are different types of robotics in rehabilitation. This article focuses on the robotics used in neurorehabilitation for training the upper and lower limbs. Since 1960 manual treadmill training has been employed in different rehabilitation centres. It has become clear that assisting the patient’s leg movement in manual treadmill training is a very strenuous task for physiotherapists, which limits the duration of training. To improve training intensity and duration, the robot assisted gait orthosis has been used since 1990. One such automated treadmill training system is the Lokomat system. This kind of active locomotion training with biofeedback encourages patients to walk more actively. It also increases their motivation and improves the walking balance, as well as has a positive influence on the whole body, incl. functions like trunk balance and cardiovascular, digestive and bladder functions, quality of sleep, etc. Increasingly more studies deal with the positive effect of robotic locomotor training also for the subgroup of patients with chronic conditions. The role of the PRM physician is to make the right decision about what a patient can benefit from this kind of intensive robotic training. The robotics serve as good technical devices assisting physiotherapists and improving the therapy outcome by providing highly intensive, individualized training in a motivational environment of constant feedback for patients.