Physical Therapy Equipment:
Product Development

Physical Therapy Equipment: Media Release from Gyro Enterprises Ltd, February 2009. Article as seen in Physio Focus, Issue 13, NZ Private Physiotherapists Association Inc.

The Gyroboard:
Fun Rehabilitation & Core Stability Training Tool

Finding fun and unique physical therapy equipment which encourages clients during their rehabilitation, especially the teenagers and young adults, can be a challenge for physios. Cantabrian, Graeme Dubar of Gyro Enterprises Ltd has invented and developed the Gyroboard, which is proving a success amongst South Island physiotherapists and elite sports people, including the Crusaders.

Muscle People Ltd’s Director, Laurie Moore, says "the Gyroboard is great for elite athletes through to serious injury/TBI clients. It provides an enjoyable and challenging way to train and rehabilitate core stability, balance and proprioception."

Graeme’s initial intention for his invention was to provide friends who participate in snow sports with a dry land training tool. He wanted it to be fun and challenging. It took a lot of Kiwi ingenuity, research and testing before he came up with the design for the unique and now fully New Zealand patented mechanism on the Gyroboard.

As the prototypes started to take shape, Gyro Enterprises approached the New Zealand Academy of Sport – Winter Performance Programme, who agreed to trial it. They found it to be a challenging and exciting alternative to wobble boards for their prehabilitation, rehabilitation, and dryland training.

Developing a new invention takes discipline, time and money. Graeme had to keep working at his full time day job as a carpenter. Just over three years ago, he put his back out, and had to see physiotherapist, Colin Hancock, at PhysioSouth in Kaiapoi.

“I asked Graeme what he did with his time,” says Colin, “and he told me about his invention. I agreed to have a look. It was a pretty basic idea at that stage.”

Colin agreed to trial this new physical therapy equipment in PhysioSouth’s Kaiapoi gym for a couple of weeks, to assess whether if it could help with injury rehabilitation.

“Three years later, and the Gyroboard is very much part of the rehab programme for our patients,” says Colin. “Their first reaction is ‘what’s the skateboard for?’. Especially the younger patients who see it as more fun immediately. The older clients have a lot of fun on it too.”

PhysioSouth incorporated the Gyroboard into the rehabilitation routine for most injuries, and for clients of all ages, from pre-schoolers to people in their 80s.

“The advantage of it is that it can be locked into position, into certain angles, and the rotation of the deck can be controlled. It doesn’t take off on you like a wobble board can,” says Colin.

“Feedback we’ve had from physios is that it’s best for them to get creative and assess what exercises they use to treat individual injuries,” says Graeme. “Besides the obvious side to side and rocking back and forth ankle strengthening exercises, we’ve seen it used for squats, press ups, tricep dips, lunges, bridging, ab strengthening, and a lot more.”

After the successful trial and positive feedback from PhysioSouth, Graeme’s mission is to get his invention into as many physiotherapy clinics as possible.

“The Gyroboard is suitable for all size practices,” says Graeme. “The legs are detachable and the unit can be packed away in its carry bag. It weighs only 8.3 kg, so is also a very mobile piece of physical therapy equipment.”

Taking less than a minute to assemble, the Gyroboard takes up an area of approximately 1m2 and is best placed against a wall or existing gym equipment to assist the patient with their balance until they become confident on the board.

Aside from the braking mechanism, which allows the sturdy skateboard style deck to spin at the speed and resistance you choose, the main feature that physios like are the two adjustable tilt stops. These can be set at different heights, allowing for increasing degrees of tilt as the injury improves. Graeme’s found that physios often have one set up high and the other down low, to get the most benefit from the product.

There is also a secure locking pin, which makes this new physical therapy equipment safe for rehabilitation, as well as for exercise and core stability training.

The movement of the deck relies solely on how much strength the user applies, and so it can be fully controlled, unlike other balance tools which will suddenly drop or take off of a client. This means injuries at critical points do not run the risk of being damaged when on a Gyroboard.

Graeme and his company fully stand behind their product and offer a 90 day full money back guarantee to physiotherapy clinics should they not find it effective in rehabilitating their client’s injuries. With over eight years of research, development and testing in New Zealand, Graeme knows the Gyroboard is top quality physical therapy equipment, built to withstand the day to day rigours of physio and gym situations, and provides a one year limited warranty.

For testimonials from professionals, as well as more detailed information on this new physical therapy equipment, click here.