Research and technology are at the heart of all we do.
Our use of new research, coupled with technology we use each day, continues to evolve as we expand our services and expertise.
Technology plays a huge role in helping us enhance our sports medicine treatments and training, such as:
Below are some of the high-tech tools we use to help people daily.
The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill®:
First designed by NASA to help astronauts stay fit during space flight, the AlterG uses positive air pressure technology. It lifts you off the ground and decreases body weight by up to 80 percent.
Because of the anti-gravity feature, you first work on balance and body position for walking. You then progress to running to help maintain heart health and fitness levels.
The team at UPMC Sports Medicine uses the AlterG as part of your PT program. We also use it with athletes who want to increase mileage or speed without injury.
In most cases, we need your doctor to refer you for AlterG treatment.
To learn more, fill out our contact form or call 1-855-937-7678.
The HydroWorx® pool at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex is one of many innovative technologies we use for PT.
Equipped with an underwater treadmill and video system, our sports medicine team can:
Along with its use for PT, HydroWorx water therapy can also help you:
In most cases, you'll need a doctor to refer you for water therapy as part of your PT program.
Connect with UPMC Sports Medicine or call 1-855-937-7678 to learn more.
BFR therapy uses a special machine that:
Post-surgery, some limbs are immobile, which can cause muscle pain or weakness. This is where doctors use most BFR units.
Physical therapists can also use BFR for strengthening, even if you didn't have surgery.
BFR technology:
Ask your physical therapist if BFR is right for you.
To learn more, fill out our contact form or call 1-855-937-7678.
While many technologies assess and treat concussions, two we use often are the ImPACT® test and ocular (vision) and vestibular (balance) therapy.
Developed by UPMC's concussion experts, the computer-based ImPACT test:
Please note that the ImPACT test does not diagnose current or past concussions or prevent them in the future.
Concussions can sometimes disrupt the brain's motion detection system or the connection between the brain and eyes. This can cause dizziness or vision problems.
Our experts at the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program use special technology to improve balance and visual performance.
To make an appointment with one of our concussion experts, call 412-432-3681.
Cycling performance expert Matt Tinkey, MS, ATC, PES, uses the KICKR™ Smart Bike to help his cycling patients ride their best at UPMC Sports Medicine.
This technology can help outdoor cyclists:
This technology can help indoor cyclists:
To make an appointment with Matt, email CyclingPerformance@upmc.edu or call 724-720-3047.
Our physical therapists use both stationary and handheld equipment, called dynamometers, to assess joint torque and help strengthen muscles.
The UPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center is one of few clinics in the area to use a computerized stationary strength machine.
Doctors use the Biodex® machine most often to get an objective measure of quad and hamstring strength.
But they can also use it to test strength in the:
Physical therapists can use the Biodex to strengthen these muscle groups as well.
It can focus on precise strength parameters, with or without electrical stimulation, to high-load eccentric strength training.
We also use a handheld dynamometer (HHD), allowing for a quicker (though sometimes less precise) assessment of muscle strength.
With the HHD, we can get an objective strength reading for any muscle group that can perform a handheld muscle test.
We must note that certain factors can limit the accuracy of the test, such as:
Ask your physical therapist about instrumented muscle strength testing.
To learn more, please submit our contact form or call 1-855-937-7678.
One of the many ways we use ultrasound in sports medicine is to measure body mass using BodyMetrix™.
Our Sports Nutrition team at UPMC Sports Medicine uses ultrasound to test body composition by taking 3-, 5-, or 7-site measurements on a person. These sites on the body vary based on gender.
The total measurements tell us your body make-up — such as fat, muscle, and protein — which our team reviews with you. We then send you a detailed breakdown of this data after your appointment.
BodyMetrix has many benefits, including:
You also get your results right away, so there's no waiting time.
To learn more about ultrasound body fat composition testing, contact our team by:
We use video analysis software, including Kinovea™ open platform, at UPMC Sports Medicine to help athletes improve mechanics in their sport.
Matt Tinkey, MS, ATC, PES, at UPMC Sports Medicine, uses video to:
This tool can improve biking posture and pedaling mechanics to produce more power, while enhancing comfort and safety.
To make an appointment with Matt, email CyclingPerformance@upmc.edu or call 724-720-3047.
UPMC Sports Medicine offers video analysis and a 16-step assessment designed expressly for the intricate movements golfers make during their swing.
Our experts look at:
They can then give you techniques to correct problems and help you achieve a more consistent swing.
To make an appointment with our golfing experts, call 1-855-937-7678 or fill out our contact form.
One of the many parts of our running assessment is video analysis. As you run on a treadmill, we film your gait at precise angles from the side and rear.
We also use another technology — RunScribe™ footpods — to capture every foot strike in real time.
The pods give us a complete view of your mechanics during your run by taking metrics such as:
The video footage and pod data help us pinpoint where you can make changes to improve your run and avoid injury.
For an appointment with a UPMC Sports Medicine running expert, call 1-855-937-7678 or use our contact form.
While we can use video to analyze athletes in any throwing sport, we most often use it for baseball and softball players.
Video allows our experts to study your mechanics and look for variations or faults in your throwing or pitching form. We can then build on our findings to help you make the most of your throwing motion and avoid injury.
We also use radar velocity technology to gauge throwing and pitching performance before and after making changes to your form.
To make an appointment with our throwing experts, call 1-855-937-7678 or complete our contact form.
WBV is a technique to train the muscles and nerves. It can help across many sports medicine services, but UPMC Sports Medicine most often uses it for athletic performance and training.
A WBV platform offers outside stimulation at controlled settings to help with:
WBV may also reduce pain as athletes perform specific exercises on the platform.
Targeted percussion massage devices like the one we use (Hypervolt®) can help quicken warmup and recovery by:
Our sports performance experts know what muscles to target and how to approach them to provide you with better results.
This device works best before or after a workout.
Ron DeAngelo, MEd, CSCS, Director of Sports Performance, often uses WBV and targeted massage.
To make an appointment with Ron, call the main UPMC Sports Medicine number at 1-855-937-7678 or fill out our request form.