Friday, September 6, 2013

SBU Physical Therapy receives new equipment



Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
(417) 328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu

SBU Physical Therapy receives new equipment

BOLIVAR, Mo.Southwest Baptist University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program has recently acquired a new Biodex Balance System SD machine. This equipment is designed to help assess a person’s stability and balance.

Dr. Joshua Layman, assistant professor of physical therapy, says he uses the Biodex Balance System machine in his instruction to help students learn about balance systems and control and better understand the results of balance tests. Layman gives his students an assignment in which they emulate a patient’s abnormalities, use the machine to perform tests, and then interpret the results. While the machine’s computer creates data to analyze the patient’s sway and balance, it also trains the therapist so that he or she would be able to perform these tests with patients even if this equipment was not available at a clinic.

The acquisition of this machine was made to replace an older system that was experiencing mechanical issues. The Biodex Balance System SD machine is more than just a replacement but is also a tremendous upgrade. Since the machine has a dynamic force plate it is able to measure reactive balance. This will allow students to see and understand how balance systems work more objectively. Layman says this equipment is beneficial for students of SBU’s DPT program because “it takes a textbook concept and turns it into a hands-on experience.”

Future uses for the machine may also include expanding to include a concussion management system, which would benefit SBU athletics in determining when an athlete is ready to return to play. The machine can also be used in assessing fall-risk with geriatrics.

To learn more about SBU’s doctor of physical therapy program, please call (417) 328-1690.

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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.