biodex 950-146, Installation & Operation Manual, Page: 13 / 36

6. Clinical Considerations
As with any other piece of user-interactive rehabilitation equipment, certain
clinical considerations must be ensured before anyone is allowed to exercise on a
Biodex UBC or UBC Clinical Pro. Following is a brief summary of some points to
consider.
1. All users should have medical clearance prior to undertaking any rigorous exercise
program. This is especially necessary for any user with a past history of heart rate
problems or known risk factors including: family history of cardiovascular disease,
elevated blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, sedentary life style and
smoking.
2. Start each user at a safe exercise level. Do not allow users to overexert themselves on
either UBC. Symptoms of overexertion may include, but are not limited to: dizziness,
nausea, pain or discomfort, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing.
3. Prior to starting any exercise session, ensure that the user is comfortably seated. Be
sure to adjust the seat fore/aft position, actuator tilt angle and arm cranks as
necessary. Mechanical adjustments are described in detail in Chapter 2, Parts and
Adjustments.
4. Warm-up and warm-down periods are necessary to avoid suddenly taxing the heart and
circulation system, and to help prevent injury to the muscles or joints. Sufficient warm-
up and warm-down periods have also been shown to reduce muscle soreness following
exercise. Be sure to allow for a minimum of 3 to 5 minutes of gradually increasing
exercise intensity prior to starting the actual exercise session and a similar amount of
time of decreasing exercise intensity following each session.
5. Proper seat fore/aft positioning is essential. The distance of the seat from the arm
cranks greatly influences involvement of the shoulder girdle and torso rotation. Moving
the seat closer to the arm cranks increases shoulder retraction. Conversely, moving the
seat away from the arm cranks adds to shoulder protraction. Adjustment of arm crank
length and actuator tilt may also influence shoulder involvement and torso rotation.
6. Arm crank length, to a large degree, controls the total range of motion of both the
elbow and shoulder. Increasing the length of the arm cranks will increase the range of
extension and flexion for both elbow and shoulder. Conversely, decreasing the arm
crank length will decrease the range for these joints. Adjustment of seat fore/aft
position and actuator tilt may also influence shoulder and elbow range of motion for
both flexion and extension.
Considérations Cliniques
Comme c'est le cas pour tout appareil de réadaptation permettant une
interaction avec l'utilisateur, on doit s'assurer du respect de certaines
considérations cliniques avant de permettre à quiconque de faire de l'exercise
sur le cycle à bras, appelé UBC (Upper Body Cycle), Proffessional Clinique, de
Biodex. Voici un résumé de certains points dont il faut tenir compte.
1. Tout utilisateur doit avoir une autorisation du médecin avant d'entreprendre tour pro-
gramme d' exercise astreignant. Ceci revêt une importance particulière dans le cas d'un
utilisateur possédant un historique de malaises cardiaques ou des facteurs de risque
connus, notammment: historique familial de maladie cardiovasculaire, hypertension
artérielle, hyperlipidémie, diabéte, obésité, mode de vie sédentaire, tabagisme.
2. Faire commencer chaque utilisateur à un niveau d'exercice sécuritaire. Ne pas permettre
aux utilisateurs de se surmener sur l'appareil UBC. Les symptômes de surmenage
peuvent com prendre, sans limiter ce qui suit: vertige, nausée, douleur ou gêne, souffle
court ou difficulté à respirer.
— 13 — CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS