Lynn Vanwelsenaers’s Experience with NewGait

February 28, 2021

Lynn Vanwelsenaers is a certified prosthetist and orthotic fitter in the UP of Michigan. She is one of NewGait's founding clinicians. Today, she is the Director of Product Innovation. Listen to her story about becoming involved back when the NewGait was first being discovered as a rehab tool.

Lynn Vanwelsenaers Video Interview

Watch the video version here. Certified prosthetist and orthotic fitter, Lynn Vanwelsenaers, discusses learning about the NewGait and how it has changed her practice.

QUESTION: Can you give us a quick introduction?

LYNN: My name is Lynn Vanwelsenaers and I am a certified prosthetist and orthotic fitter.

QUESTION: How did you learn about the NewGait?

LYNN: I was introduced to the NewGait by Kim Spranger, who happened to stop by my office one day, and asked me if I’d be interested in learning about it. I said, “Certainly.” And then Jordan came to visit me and I actually tried it on that day and ran around in it. I immediately saw that it would make a difference for people with gait imbalances. It’s added a dimension that I didn’t have before. And it actually helps patients have more success earlier on.

QUESTION: How have you been using the NewGait as a prosthetist and orthotic fitter?

LYNN: In my daily practice, I actually use it on new amputee’s who have different gait deviations to help them know how to fire their muscles for gait patterns. I will sometimes use it to see what they’re lacking and what they might need in general. Since I’ve been working with it, I’ve learned to use it to address many muscle imbalance or postural conditions.

“I’ve learned to use it to address many muscle imbalance or postural conditions.”

QUESTION: What has been your favorite moment using the NewGait?

LYNN: In general, my favorite moment with the NewGait is the smile that it brings to people’s faces when they realize that this actually might work! It looks weird, it makes the patients feel like a puppet sometimes. But when they actually feel what they feel when they’re using it, it spreads a smile across their face and light in their eyes and the hope is restored. That is my favorite moment.

“It spreads a smile across their face and light in their eyes and the hope is restored.”

QUESTION: What makes the NewGait team different?

LYNN: Our team is set apart from others because we actually work really well together. We put first things first. We are grateful. And it’s just a joy to work with everybody who is passionate and focused and excited about what we’re doing.

QUESTION: How do you forsee the future of NewGait?

LYNN: I believe that the NewGait is going to change rehab as we know it today. I think it’s going to add a dimension. It’s going to help people actually restore parts of their lives that they haven’t had, and it’s going to allow people to get back to more functional living.

“The NewGait is going to change rehab as we know it today.”

"I actually use it on new amputee’s who have different gait deviations to help them know how to fire their muscles for gait patterns."

"We put first things first. We are grateful. And it's just a joy to work with everybody who is passionate and focused and excited about what we're doing."

"In general, my favorite moment with the NewGait is the smile that it brings to people's faces when they realize that this actually might work!"

Kate Rose Reflects on Her Experiences with the NewGait and How it Has Improved Her Treatment Plans

February 28, 2021

Physical Therapist, Kate Rose, reflects on her experiences with The NewGait and how it has improved her treatment plans. Not only does she use it on her patients, but has additional experience using the NewGait herself for chronic pain. Listen to her educational story.

Kate Rose Video Interview

Watch the video version here. Physical therapist, Kate Rose, reflects on her experiences with the NewGait and how it has improved her treatment plans.

QUESTION: Can you give us a quick introduction?

KATE: My name is Kate Rose. And I’m a physical therapist in Marquette, Michigan, and I work in an outpatient clinic.

QUESTION: How long have you been practicing? And what is your specialty?

KATE: I’ve been a physical therapist for over 30 years. I did a fellowship with Gary Gray, who is a movement scientist, one of the leaders in the nation in movement science, and he’s a physical therapist to professional athletes and just an amazing man. His philosophy is called applied functional science. And it’s based on the science of movement. And so, I’m going to say that’s my specialty. It’s called AFS. It’s just looking at the body as a whole. Because when your foot hits the ground, everything, there is a chain reaction in every joint in your body. And so, we don’t want to isolate one joint and look at that, we want to look at the whole body always, which fits in really well with the NewGait!

“We don’t want to isolate one joint and look at that, we want to look at the whole body always, which fits in really well with the NewGait!”

QUESTION: How did you first get introduced to the NewGait?

KATE: I got introduced by Kim Spranger, who we both know is an incredibly enthusiastic person. And the minute she saw the NewGait, she couldn’t believe what the potential was in physical therapy. She told me about it and at the time, I was working in home health. So, she came and did an in-service at our clinic and left us with a unit. And we were able to play around with it in home health. But then I went back to outpatient, and I started working with Kim closely, and she showed me so many things, with so many patients.

QUESTION: How do you incorporate it into your practice?

KATE: I use it a lot with the older folks that come in with all kinds of weaknesses. I’ve used it with our athletes, we work with a high school that’s right across the street from our clinic. And also our knee replacement patients I have used it a lot with them.

QUESTION: The NewGait can look intimidating at first. How did you overcome that?

KATE: After using it for a while, it became less intimidating, you know? I just knew what to do. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to do. And I’ll tell you what else really helped, is having those extra D-Anchors, now we just have a bunch of those on every piece. So, once it’s on somebody and you decide to add something else, you just have to get a bungee and hook it up. But it was just using it. Like anything, the more you use it, it just becomes familiar and a heck of a lot easier. You could start more simply. And I think that would be a great way to introduce people to using it is to not feel like you have to use every single piece. The first time just put the leg piece or something.

“Like anything, the more you use it, it just becomes familiar and a heck of a lot easier.”

QUESTION: How many patients would you say you have used it on?

KATE: As time went on, I just started seeing more and more potential for it and using it on a lot more people. Initially, you say, “I’m going to use this on my stroke patient or my neuro patient because it’s such an obvious need.” But then if they look at the potential of it, you go, “Well, wait a minute, what about this person who just has a bunch of postural issues that you cannot seem to chew away.” So I think you’re right, it’s exactly that you see the potential more as it gets user friendly for you. And even the potential as a strengthening tool. Not just a replacement for a weak muscle, but to strengthen a muscle.

“It’s exactly that you see the potential more as it gets user friendly for you. And even the potential as a strengthening tool. Not just a replacement for a weak muscle.”

QUESTION: Can you tell me about how you used it for your own pain?

KATE: I had a herniated disk, I had weakness in my leg. I got the NewGait out and I put it on and I put it where the scientists told me I was weak. I put it on my hip abductors. And I put it on my foot dorsiflexors, and I walked. Initially, I had a lot on the hip. And did that ever work my hip. I saw how you could strengthen the opposing muscles. So, then I took it off the hip and just used it on my ankle. And then I could do that walk without any trouble. One day, I walked nine miles with that on. I used it for three weeks and every time I just got progressively stronger. So how much of that is actually the NewGait, plus healing? Who really knows? But after about three weeks, which is this week, I think I’m ready to take a walk without it. I haven’t taken a walk without it. I probably walked every other day. And three to five miles except that one nine-mile day.

“I saw how you could strengthen the opposing muscles. So, then I took it off the hip and just used it on my ankle. And then I could do that walk without any trouble.”

QUESTION: How do you foresee the future of NewGait and healthcare?

KATE: I just think that as we look at healthcare today, we have less and less visits. The more we can promote healing and creative ways with less visits, the better. The more effective we will be and the happier our patients will be.

"I just think that as we look at healthcare today, we have less and less visits. The more we can promote healing and creative ways with less visits, the better."

"As time went on, I just started seeing more and more potential for it and using it on a lot more people."

"After using it for a while, it became less intimidating, you know? I just knew what to do. In the beginning, I wasn't sure what to do."

Category Archives: Rehab and Movement Professionals