Skip to content
AlterG Logo
  • Find an AlterG
  • Book a Demo
  • Products
  • Who We Help
  • Technology
  • Resources
    • AlterG Assistant
    • User Manuals
    • Clinical Protocols
    • Case Studies
    • Training Portal
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About
    • Our Story
    • News & Events
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service / Support
    • Request a Demo
    • Find an AlterG
    • International Distributors

Patient Spotlight: Trish’s Triumph

March 15, 2016

AlterG Inc.AlterG TreadmillPatient StoriesPhysical TherapyRehabilitationSuccess Stories

Here at AlterG HQ, there are few things we like more than defying gravity. One of those things is hearing about our patient’s gravity-defying success stories. Recently, we received some fantastic news from the self-proclaimed (and we wholeheartedly endorse the proclamation) “President of the AlterG Fan Club in Mahwah, NJ,” Trish Bogucki. Trish’s story is one of perseverance and tenacity, and we are honored to share it with you now. So, without further adieu, we present “Trish’s Triumph: A Moonwalker’s Tale.” 

To the AlterG team:

Last year I developed severe trouble walking and was falling frequently.  I went for an MRI and was told I had Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).  After a few attempts at spinal taps I had ventricular peritoneal shunt surgery performed by Dr. William Cobb in Ridgewood, NJ in May 2015.  Dr. Cobb’s nurse Lindsay Belfiore told me about the AlterG and suggested I try it as part of my post-op physical therapy.  That brought me to SportsMed in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey in early June.  My physical therapist there Florentino (Tino) Ferrer created a program of balance and strengthening exercises for me that initially included 20 minutes of walking on the AlterG.  Being able to see my stride on the three cameras was terrific biofeedback, and Tino did not have to correct me so frequently. 

Tino and Trish

After a few months of therapy my walking started to improve, but I was still having a lot of trouble on sloping surfaces (e.g., parking lots, hallways at work) especially when going downhill.  My doctor agreed that that is particularly difficult for the brain, and he suggested seeing if there was a way I could practice downhill walking on the AlterG.  Tino and an aide at SportsMed named Rosie put their heads together and figured out that I could practice walking downhill by running the AlterG in reverse on an incline and having me face backwards but walk forwards.  I had to put the shorts on backwards but it all worked, and I saw improvement after only one session – that was so exciting! My routine on the AlterG since then has been to walk forward for 15 minutes at increasing rates of speed but no incline, then walk in reverse for 5 minutes, then switch everything around to face backwards and walk forward on a decline for 10 minutes.  I wear 5 lb. ankle weights all the time on the AlterG.  Now after working on the AlterG for 30 minutes a day three days a week for several more months, I am able to walk on my own on all kinds of surfaces (not perfectly yet, but I will get there!).  Last month my neurosurgeon told me that I don’t have to see him again for a year. 

I still have a way to go before I can resume some of my old activities – step class in particular – so I am continuing my three-days-a-week routine with the AlterG and other balance exercises at SportsMed.  I am very grateful to Dr. Cobb’s team, the SportsMed team and the AlterG team for helping me get to this point.  Throughout this experience my husband Vince has also been a tremendous support – doing so many things that I couldn’t do for over a year and picking me up when I fell.  When Valentine’s Day was approaching this year I was determined to get myself to a mall to buy him his favorite chocolates despite the walking involved.  The expedition was a complete success: Vince was surprised, and we were both thrilled that I could manage it. 

Your miracle machine has been a major factor in my ongoing recovery, and all I can say is thank you for helping me get my independence back!  

Gratefully, Trish Bogucki

Mahwah, NJ

Trish, you put the “miracle” into our machine; our treadmill may take you to the moon, but it is our patients who turn those first “small steps” into giant leaps toward recovery. We are truly honored to take part in your rehab journey, and we salute your fearless resolve.

To the rest of you fine folks, keep the gravity-free narratives coming! We are always looking for fresh material to share during our daily HQ story-time (right before naptime). So sharpen those pencils and ink those quills, and help send us off to some seriously inspirational mid-day dreams.

 

PreviousNext

Recent Posts

Fall is upon us!

October 8, 2020

Posture-Improving Exercises for Physical Therapy Patients

August 28, 2019

Can You Walk With a Torn ACL?

July 17, 2019

Healthy Ways to Celebrate Independence Day

July 3, 2019

3 Tips for Better Sleep After Meniscus Surgery

June 26, 2019
View All Posts

Categories

  • AlterG Treadmill
    • AlterG Inc.
    • Protocols
    • Stride Smart
    • Video Monitoring
  • Athletics
    • Athletic Training
    • Injury Prevention
  • Events
    • Conferences
    • National PT Month
  • Exercise
    • Weight Loss
  • Health and Medical
    • Orthopedics
  • Rehabilitation
    • Physical Therapy
    • Senior Mobility
  • Success Stories
    • Patient Stories
  • Uncategorized

Interested in Learning More?

Find an AlterG Near You
Book a Demo
AlterG Logo
Find an AlterG
Book a Demo

48368 Milmont Dr.
Fremont, CA 94538
+1 510 270 5900
info@alterg.com

  • Products
  • Who We Help
  • Technology
  • Resources
  • AlterG Assistant
  • User Manuals
  • Clinical Protocols
  • Case Studies
  • Training Portal
  • Blog
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About
  • Our Story
  • News & Events
  • Contact
  • Contact Us
  • Customer Service/Support
  • Request a Demo
  • Find an AlterG
  • International Distributors

© 2023 AlterG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Site by Smack Happy Design

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}