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.
