New Study: BackHug can help those living with Parkinson’s disease

The world’s first robotic back therapist, BackHug is an AI-powered apparatus that uses 26 human-sized robotic fingers, zero gravity positioning, back scanning, real-time controls, and tension tracking to reduce back pain and stiffness in minutes. The Performance + Longevity Center acquired BackHug last fall, and dozens of members have since fallen in love with its efficient means of relieving ongoing back issues.

But BackHug began with the goal of helping those living with neurological conditions. Now, the folks behind the innovative apparatus have begun testing whether BackHug can help people living with the fastest-growing neurological condition today: Parkinson’s disease.

The answer is overwhelmingly “yes.”

The Results

Afour-week study recently conducted by the experts atPacific Medical (the California-based distributor behind BackHug) on 16 people living with Parkinson’s found the following:

• 25% improvement in walking speed (with one participant walking 47% faster)

• 65% reduction in chronic pain scores

• Significant shifts in sleep quality, from "poor" to "good"

• 50% improvement in sit-to-stand repetitions

Each participant underwent only four 40-minute robotic therapy sessions, most of them over a two-week period.

Why BackHug helps those with Parkinson's

Parkinson’s typically causes "axial rigidity" – a stiffness in the trunk described by some patients as “concrete body.” This rigidity is the root cause of reduced mobility, chronic pain, and poor sleep. 

The new data suggests the power of spinal movement. When the spine moves, the body flows. BackHug can help break the vicious circle of Parkinson’s stiffness and pain, turning it into a positive cycle of movement.