User Centered Portable Suspension Therapy Unit Design & Testing on Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Background: Suspension is a therapeutic skill that suspends a body and eliminates effects of friction to ease
the movements. It is very beneficial in both musculoskeletal and neurological field.
Objective: To make suspension therapy more accessible for a physiotherapist domestically which provide
an opportunity for patient to receive suspension therapy in any occasion.
Study Design: Pilot study.
Sample Size: 30 healthy subjects from Hospital or AIMST University (with various body sizes).
Discussion: The overall satisfaction level for the Portable Suspension Kit is pleasant. The subjects
acknowledge that suspension therapy helps to improve range of motion and is suitable for home rehabilitation
and both statements score the highest which is 3.9667±0.66868 out of 5. On the contrary, the subjects agree
less on the stability of the frame which results show 3.7±0.98786 out of 5. Whereas, for R.A. tracker, the
outcome of accuracy level turned out to be 65.2% which is of moderate range and the result is acceptable for
a new prototype. P > 0.652 is not statistically significant due to the sensor sensitivity of calibration. Thus, we
strongly agree that the deficiency needed to be improved to allow accurate visual feedback.
Conclusion: The making of ‘Portable Suspension Kit’ is successful and indeed is convenient to carry around.
Suspension therapy can now be widely used in any occasion on the patients. Nevertheless, it still has more to
improve especially on the stability and the material used to make it safer, lighter and easier to carry.