For patients recovering from serious injuries, even the smallest movements can feel like significant challenges. But with the right support and a progressive approach to mobility, meaningful milestones can become possible.
For David, that journey began after a fall from a ladder left him with multiple fractures, significant pain, and severe mobility limitations.
When Traditional Mobility Wasn’t an Option
At 6’2″ and 397 pounds, David faced considerable challenges with transfers and weight-bearing activities. His pain and limited mobility prevented him from attempting harness-supported gait training, and transferring into a wheelchair required a Hoyer lift and multiple staff members.
His care team needed another way to begin rebuilding his tolerance for upright positioning and weight-bearing.
Building Strength Through Verticalization Therapy®
David’s care team introduced Verticalization Therapy® using a bariatric configuration of The Catalyst®, allowing him to begin progressive upright positioning while remaining supported in bed.
With both nursing and therapy teams incorporating Verticalization Therapy into his rehabilitation plan, David gradually tolerated increased verticalization angles and weight-bearing through his legs.
As his tolerance and strength improved, he began actively engaging his quadriceps muscles during verticalization sessions.
These incremental gains helped create opportunities for the next stages of rehabilitation.
From Standing to Walking
Over time, David progressed to standing with a walker and taking steps in parallel bars.
His functional improvements also helped his care team advocate for an extension of his rehabilitation stay rather than discharge to a skilled nursing facility.
By the end of his rehabilitation stay, David was walking through the hallways with a walker and successfully discharged home.
His journey illustrates how incorporating Verticalization Therapy into an individualized rehabilitation program can provide another mobility option when conventional approaches are initially difficult to tolerate.
For David, each step forward brought him closer to an important goal: returning home.
When traditional mobility isn’t yet an option, progress may still be possible.
Learn more about how The Catalyst® and Verticalization Therapy® can support progressive mobility for patients with complex rehabilitation needs.