Look Who it Was Random video

Moonwalking Through Rehab

169 views · Published 2 September 2014 · 1:45 · Indexed 15 October 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2014 · Science & Technology

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Amy Slattery appreciates standing on her own two legs. The road hasn’t been easy.

“I’m 6, almost 7 weeks, post a fall,” says Slattery.

A tumble that broke her hip in three different places.

“And I had a rod placed, a bolt placed, and a screw placed. And I need to get back to work,” says Slattery. 

Racing a clock to rehab…

Amy kick-started her recovery using the out-of-this-world Alter-G treadmill. 

Developed by NASA, it defies gravity and allows patients to moonwalk their way through rehab.

“It’s a treadmill system that allows us to use air pressure to manipulate the amount of weight that people bear through their lower extremities,” says Tad Cranfield, who is a physical therapist with Lee Memorial Health System. 

Patients put on neoprene pants that are zipped onto the machine providing an airlock. Based on their weight and the setting, the pressure on their body is reduced.

“We can choose anywhere between 20% and 100% of their weight,” says Cranfield. 

By manipulating gravity, patients can move without hurting themselves. It’s especially beneficial for people with balance issues, neurological disorders and those undergoing rehab for an injury or surgery.

 “It allows us to get them standing and start their rehab earlier and then bring them along a little quicker while controlling their pain,” says Cranfield.  

It’s almost like walking on a cloud.

“When it blows up it kind of makes you float.  It feels very good. I don’t have that fear of falling,” says Slattery. 

Stretching the boundaries and their limits, the Alter-G is altering lives. 


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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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