Every so often we are going to provide a closer look at some of the technological tools that we use at our center to help provide a diagnosis and help develop a therapeutic care plan. Today, we’re going to look at our Isokinetic Testing system and explain why it is such an important tool in getting you back to full health.
What Is Isokinetic Testing?
If you’re familiar with word origins, you can probably take a guess at what we mean when we say isokinetic testing. “Iso” is short for isolation, and “kinetic” refers to our bodies in motion. Together, isokinetic testing means that we are going to isolate certain movements to see how muscles and body systems are performing.
For example, you may very well be able to describe to the physical therapist that your knee hurts when you bend and put pressure on the area, but that only helps to narrow down the list of potential issues to a certain extent. However, with the help of an isokinetic testing system, we can isolate and measure the strength of muscle groups in the area to figure out exactly what’s going on and how to best target these muscles with therapeutic exercises.
Our isokinetic testing machine is one of the more technologically advanced systems you’ll find in a therapy clinic. Our testing system utilizes state-of-the-art computer technology that allows us to analyze isolated joint and muscle tests in real-time. This allows our team to evaluate a number of different factors pertaining to the area in question, including:
- Strength
- Range of Motion/Flexibility
- Endurance
- Acceleration
- Force
This isolation testing system allows us to pinpoint weaknesses or areas of dysfunction in order to help the therapist develop a targeted training regimen. Clients can use the system as their therapy progresses to see how areas are improving as well. Speed and resistance can also be adjusted to see how muscles and joints perform when different amounts of power are required for movement, which helps provide a fuller picture of the extent of your condition.
The machine may seem a little intimidating, but it’s nothing to worry about. Movements are guided with the assistance of a physical therapist, and if you have any discomfort during testing, your therapist can stop the test and develop other ways to measure your area function.
If you are wondering if isokinetic testing could be beneficial after your injury or surgery, or you’re just interested in learning more about the system or seeing it in action, give our team at OrthoRehab Specialists a call today.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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