How CN Rehab Uses LiteGait in Neurological Physiotherapy

At CN Rehab, neurological physiotherapy is at the heart of what we do: regaining function, restoring independence and retraining the nervous system. We use LiteGait as a powerful adjunct to our therapy work. Here’s how:

Early mobilisation & safe standing

After a stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury or other neurological event, many patients can’t initially support full standing. With LiteGait, we can begin standing and weight-bearing work earlier, in a safe environment. We attach a harness while the patient is seated (or from a chair/bio-couch) and gradually lift them into standing under support. CN Rehab already mentions this usage on their existing page.

Gait training with partial support

Once standing is tolerated, we can use LiteGait overground or on a treadmill (e.g. with the GaitKeeper) to practise walking. The overhead support allows us to adjust how much body weight is offloaded (for example, we may begin at 40–50 % support, then progressively reduce). The goal is to gradually challenge the nervous system and muscles to carry more weight, correct asymmetries, and improve step patterns.

Because LiteGait controls posture in three planes and allows fine adjustments, we can safely challenge balance and symmetry even in patients with one-sided weakness or asymmetries.

High repetitions, intensity & task specificity

Neurorecovery is all about repetition, specificity and intensity. LiteGait gives us the freedom to maximise the number of steps and standing minutes in a session, without undue fatigue or risk of falls. We can push dosage while staying in a safe environment.

Balancing challenge and support (“assist-as-needed”)

One of the strengths of LiteGait is that it is not “all or nothing.” We can allow the patient to contribute as much as possible, stepping in only as needed. Over time, we can reduce the support gradually, demanding more active control. The optional Smart BiSym / Smart Controller helps by dynamically adjusting support to match therapist goals.

Integration with other therapies

The LiteGait sessions don’t stand alone. We embed it within our broader neurological physiotherapy framework:

• Use of manual facilitation/cueing (hands-on assistance at trunk, pelvis) while the patient walks in the harness.
• Combining functional tasks (e.g. reaching, stepping over obstacles, turning) while supported.
• When possible, pairing with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) or neuromuscular stimulation to assist muscle activation.
• Progress toward unsupervised walking, transfers, and daily tasks as the patient’s control and strength improve.

Monitoring progress & feedback

We use objective and subjective measures:

• Track how much support (in kg or percentage of body weight) the patient needed over time, left vs right (especially with BiSym feedback).
• Log the number of steps, session duration, standing tolerance, and balance measures.
• Use video and real-time feedback to help patients “see” their improvements.
• Periodically reduce support to test functional carryover to unassisted walking and standing.

Benefits of Using the LiteGait for Neurological Physiotherapy

Why do we believe LiteGait is so valuable in a neurological rehab setting? The evidence and experience support multiple benefits:

• Safety and confidence: Because the system prevents falls, patients feel more confident to push harder, and therapists can work without constant guarding.
• Early movement exposure: Starting weight-bearing earlier helps discourage secondary complications of immobility, such as deconditioning, bone density loss, or contractures.
• Symmetry & posture control: The multi-plane harness control allows us to correct asymmetries, control trunk sway, and encourage more balanced gait patterns.
• Assist-as-needed training: The capacity to gradually reduce support fosters motor learning and helps the nervous system re-adapt under challenge.
• High dosage, high repetition: We can deliver many steps, more standing minutes and more functional trials than would be safe manually.
• Neuroplasticity stimulation: Repeated, task-specific movement with sensory feedback encourages the formation of new neural pathways (or strengthening of residual ones).
• Bridging to independence: As patients improve, we reduce reliance on the harness and guide them toward unassisted walking, transfers, and daily mobility.

These advantages are well-aligned with principles of modern neurological rehabilitation, which emphasise early, intense, task-specific, progressive training.

Who Can Benefit?

The LiteGait is not just for “walking” patients. It can support people across a wide spectrum of mobility levels, including:

• Patients with complete or partial paralysis (e.g. post-stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury).
• People with severe weakness or poor balance who cannot stand or walk unaided.
• Individuals with gait asymmetries, postural control challenges or neurological imbalance (e.g. hemiparesis).
• Patients in pediatric settings (with appropriately sized harnesses and adjustments).
• Those progressing from non-ambulatory to assisted walking, and later to more independent mobility.