Bringing balance back to life: new rehab technology at Allied Services

Category: Physical Therapy, Stroke Recovery, Occupational Therapy
Posted On: May 3, 2022
Written By: Allied Services Integrated Health

Physical rehabilitation is a constantly changing discipline, thanks to new research in fields such as neuroplasticity. As we learn more about the brain and the body, technology advances to keep pace with this new knowledge. As technology continues to evolve, so too does the way we treat and support our patients.

Rehab specialists are taking advantage of advances in rehabilitation technology to help their patients to make faster, fuller recovery. In recent years, bio-feedback, gamification, electronic stimulation, zero-gravity and virtual reality have become more commonplace in rehab devices.

BITS® Balance

At Allied Services, we are committed to giving our clincians and patients access to the latest tools and resources. That includes rehab devices such as the BITS® Balance. We spoke with Jennifer Ambrosino, MS, OTR/L, Director of Rehab at Allied, about this new addition to our rehabilitation programs.

"The BITS - Bioness Integrated Therapy System - has been helping patients at Allied Services for some years now, and we're excited to begin using the BITS^®Balance with our patients" notes Jennifer.

The Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS^®) is intended to evaluate and improve abilities in individuals with disabilities resulting from traumatic injuries and movement disorders as well as improve performance in competitive athletes. BITS is a multi-disciplinary therapy solution designed to motivate patients and improve clinician efficiency. BITS’ interactive touchscreen and diverse program options challenge patients to improve performance through the use of visual motor activities, visual and auditory processing, cognitive skills and endurance training. Standardized assessments and progress reports make documenting outcomes quick and easy.

Thanks to funds raised by the Team Allied Services charity campaign in 2021, Allied Services has been able to invest in the latest rehab device from Bioness, the new BITS Balance. It will help patients at our Wilkes-Barre Rehab Rehab Center and Scranton Rehab Hospital.

Bits device

Supporting Stroke Recovery

"The staff at our Scranton Rehab Hospital is anxiously awaiting the arrival of our latest piece of rehab technology" said Jennifer. "It will assist patients in recovering from a stroke, as well as many other conditions. BITS Balance is an addition to the BITS already in use."

"The platforms combined will provide an expanded variety of treatment activities to work on vision, cognition, motor skills and balance. These components are vital to successful completion of daily activities and are often impacted by a stroke. For example, individuals must be able to scan their environment, maintain their balance, and recall the sequence of steps required to make a cup of coffee in the morning."

BITS Balance can help patients combine balance with cognitive tasks to challenge both static and dynamic balance control:

Vision: Visual Acuity, Pursuit of targets, Scanning Environments
Cognitive: Working Memory, Sequencing Tasks, Executive Functioning
Motor: Endurance, Weight Shift, Upper Extremity Coordination
Balance: Dual Tasking, Postural Stability, Standing and Seated Balance

Jennifer notes, "BITS Balance tracks patient’s movements during balance exercises using a body-worn motion sensor or balance platform that detects movements. With over 60 programs available, clinicians will be able to personalize balance training sessions for patients at every level of mobility and track their progress throughout their rehabilitation. We look forward to sharing positive outcomes associated with the use of the BITS Balance in Scranton Rehab with you in the future."

Stroke Recovery at Allied Services

Our inpatient and outpatient stroke rehab programs address physical, cognitive, behavioral, and socialization needs as well as identify and manage risk factors to help prevent future strokes. To learn more: