Inspiring Angus teenager Wil Ritchie is learning to run again with the help of a new specialist piece of physiotherapy equipment at Ninewells Hospital.
Seventeen-year-old Wil is using a state-of-the-art body weight support treadmill and walking hoist as part of his ongoing physiotherapy treatment and said he has already seen an improvement in his running technique after just a few sessions.
Wil, who lives in Forfar with his family, is continuing his road to recovery after a mountain biking accident in 2020 left him with a serious brain injury. He spent more than nine months in hospital and following intense rehabilitation with the physiotherapy team at Ninewells Hospital, Wil has continued to make incredible progress.
The new specialist hoist is attached to a therapy treadmill, which provides additional body weight support for patients during their physiotherapy rehabilitation sessions. Using the body weight support hoist, Wil can now run for around 15 minutes covering up to 1.5 km during his physiotherapy sessions, five times longer than he could without the hoist.
Wil, who hopes to become a physiotherapist one day, is confident the new equipment will help support lots of patients like him.
He said, “I always like to run as fast as I can. I can see the hoist benefiting so many people who are making progress just like me and also those who were just like me when I first started rehab. It will really help people.
“I have only used it a few times so far. It was a little strange to get used to at first but it really helps. I can do more and push myself harder.”
Wil’s mum Karen Ritchie said she is thrilled the new piece of equipment is now available in Tayside.
“This new machine is amazing. We couldn’t believe what Wil was able to do the first time he tried it,” she said. “He has only used it a few times so far but it has helped him enormously.
“We are so proud of him, he’s a very positive person and he never gives up. He has just worked so hard every day, supported by the physio team. To see him running as fast as he can is an amazing thing. He is much more confident after using it and you can see his running technique has improved; he’s bringing his knees up more and doing more than he could ever do.
“We were excited when we were told about the new piece of kit being available in Tayside, not just for Wil, but also for all the people with different kinds of disabilities that this will help.”
The body weight support treadmill and walking hoist is based in the East of Scotland Major Trauma Centre at Ninewells Hospital, which provides dedicated trauma services, including rehabilitation support, to help patients with significant injuries to recover more quickly.
The system benefits those at all levels of rehabilitation from a patient’s first step to attempting to run for the first time. It can be used to improve a patient’s ability to stand and walk, for strengthening exercises and also to assist with daily living activities such as sit-to-stand, balance and progression of walking.
Alongside the Major Trauma Centre within Ninewells Hospital, the hoist is also being used in a range of departments across the hospital, including physiotherapy, stroke and paediatric wards. It is really portable which allows it to move around the hospital and be used at the patient’s bedside if required.
The machine also provides vital data to physiotherapy staff to show how each patient is progressing, including information about speed, stride lengths and distance.
East of Scotland Major Trauma Network Manager Fiona Hutcheson said, “The walking hoist is an incredible piece of equipment that enables patients to walk at an earlier stage of their rehabilitation. It enhances patient independence and functional ability throughout their rehab journey. The staff have been very enthusiastic about the new hoist and seeing the difference it is making to patients.”
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Carol Greig said, “The body weight support treadmill is a welcome addition to our rehabilitation equipment and seeing Wil’s progress in such a short space of time shows what a difference it will make to so many of our patients.
“It means the patient is fully supported by the harness and the amount of weight taken through their body can be reduced to make walking feel safer, easier and more secure.
“So far patients with conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury/major trauma and functional neurological disorder have all used the equipment and the patient feedback has been very positive.”