Tyromotion’s TYMO is a balance-training platform that measures the amount of weight exerted by a body and, more importantly, how that weight is distributed throughout the extremities. It can be thought of as a “smart scale”: When patients step on a TYMO, it reflects their weight and distribution patterns, which can be mapped to produce computer-assisted feedback to help correct balance, stability and coordination issues caused by scoliosis, stroke, injuries, and other impairments.

The body’s functionality can be evaluated in terms of weight distribution and symmetry. A body that is off-balance could be exhibiting the long-term impact of injuries, stressors upon joints and muscles, and distribution patterns. When recognized and mapped by the TYMO system, the data gathered can train the body and brain to prevent falls, favoring one side of the body, and other balance-impairment issues.

TYMO is more than a scale — it’s actually a modular plane used as a technologically advanced balance board, and is excellent at treating a variety of coordination-related health ailments. TYMO helps patients at Brooks Rehabilitation utilizing balance therapy, stroke therapy, and other types of exercise and rehabilitation regimens.

TYMO is also used for the treatment of balance problems that do not involve neurological problems, such as hip dysplasia, knee injuries, and for knee exercises.

How TYMO works

TYMO was designed for use in neurological therapy, orthopedic therapy, stroke recovery, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) therapy to help patients regain lost senses, relearn lost motions, and receive individualized treatment options. Skilled therapists no longer have to guess as to which part of the body is suffering the most, but can retrieve very specific information in real time from computer software programs.

The TYMO portable posturography system’s modules allow users with balance problems to undergo physical therapy using a program that considers their needs, assesses them, and takes advantage of the latest technology to aid in their recovery.

TYMO helps encourage and motivate patients through “gamification” — offering tasks and goals, like a video game, to keep them interested in striving. Each activity can be summarized and documented after treatment for the therapist to review, and the patients can track their progress. The TYMO system represents a new vista in the landscape of patient care, and can help many recover not only physically, but also emotionally from their ailments.

Applications of TYMO

Orthopedic physical therapy involves treating bones, ligaments, joints, tissues, and their neurological connections. TYMO is a type of assistive technology that works to identify balance issues which may be the result of a variety of causes, and may present in a variety of ways. While TYMO’s most obvious application is to physical therapy for balance and coordination issues, it can also be a valuable diagnostic tool, as well.

Here are several types of disorders with neurological components that could lead to balance problems:

• Strokes
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Brain tumors and injuries
• Peripheral nerve disease
• Spinal disorders
• Parkinson’s disease
• Various vestibular disorders

With the above conditions and many others, neurological problems impact the way the brain is wired. When neurons are misfiring and the body is unable to register physical space properly, or when a stroke damages critical areas of the brain, entire sides of the body can lose some or all of their sensory abilities, such as one’s perception of their body’s orientation in space. TYMO devices are used to monitor the distribution of weight and impact on each side of the body, and “train” the brain and body to recognize and compensate for correct posture, orientation and weight distribution through the use of games. For instance, one module for retraining after a stroke involves a game of balance that uses balls to help recalibrate a patient’s movement in an amusing, interactive fashion.

Balance and posture problems are frequently identified by computer-aided sensory equipment. The TYMO’s system and sensors are able to show when a body is not in equilibrium, and where the problem is in the body precisely. For those who suffer from balance disorders, the symptoms can range from irritating or disruptive to legitimately dangerous or even life-threatening. Balance disorders may also be caused by low blood sugar, damage to the inner ear, head injuries, and other problems that impact the vestibular system. Whether it is an injury to that part of the brain maintaining and monitoring the vestibular system, or other problems stemming from disease or disorder, millions each year are impacted by vertigo, dizziness, anxiety, and fainting. TYMO can be key to characterizing a balance disorder’s causes and symptoms, such as which side is most impacted, what part of the body is being injured, and then relaying this data during TBI therapy, neurological therapy, and orthopedic therapy in a way that specialists can decipher and treat.

TYMO can be used alongside other orthopedic therapies for aiding diagnosis, strengthening exercises, and generating other kinesthetic data for clinicians. When it comes to posture and balance correction, TYMO may identify conditions like a posture problem that registers when a patient steps on the board, scoliosis, or tiny differences in the length of the leg that may throw the center of the body’s gravity completely off. If the problem is scoliosis, then patients can be referred to other specialists, or treated via established orthopedic therapies. If the balance problem is related to hip dysplasia or correcting disparities in the legs, then patients can be fitted with proper orthopedic shoes, braces, or other materials to help improve their form.

Not only do medical professionals need to treat balance and posture symptoms, but they also need to identify the causes. Patients may suffer from balance disorders, knee injuries, or traumatic brain injuries, and need help understanding what’s causing an upheaval in their daily lives. For medical health professionals, TYMO is a patient-friendly system with multiple applications, from diagnostics up to and including actual physical therapy.

Features of TYMO

Tyromotion’s TYMO is the thinnest medical balance platform on the market. It’s extremely lightweight, and easy to use during assessments and around the office. TYMO’s small overall size makes it conveniently portable — it can be carried from room to room with ease.

TYMO is compatible with other Tyromotion technology, and can be augmented by different components for treating knee injuries, the hands, the arms, and the torso. Since physical therapy can be repetitive for practitioners and patients alike, offering a computer-assisted and data-driven program that makes therapy enjoyable — and even encourages fun — can help produce longer sessions, deeper engagement and optimal outcomes.

TYMO Qualifications

The TYMO balance training system, manufactured by Tyromotion, represents an innovative and productive avenue for diagnosis, data gathering, therapy and training for patients suffering a wide range of disabilities. If you suffer from balance or coordination issues as a component of stroke, MS, TBI, vestibular disorder, Parkinson’s disease or other neurological illness, consult with your physician or schedule a consultation with Brooks Rehabilitation to find out if you might be a candidate for working with TYMO.

TYMO is designed for therapy under the guidance of qualified chiropractors, physical and orthopedic therapists, and clinicians, like those at Brooks Rehabilitation.

Choosing the right therapeutic program for you is critical for achieving optimal outcomes. Contact Brooks Rehabilitation today to learn more about TYMO and the other technologies we employ to help improve your recovery, and your life.