8
OMNICYCLE
®
USER MANUAL
COPYRIGHT 2007 - 2013, ACCELERATED CARE PLUS CORP., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
Exercise Program Planning
The frequency and duration of exercise sessions on the Omnicycle
®
should be individually planned and prescribed
as appropriate to the patient’s condition. Regular exercising with the Omnicycle
®
is extremely important if
improvements in mobility, strength and endurance, are to be achieved. Short but frequent sessions are better than
long strenuous ones. Start with sessions of no more than 15 minutes of continuous exercise. Always start with a
period of gentle assisted exercise and then progress to light, active exercising with a low resistance setting. The
length of the session, the speed, the amount of active exercising and the resistance can be gradually increased a
small amount at a time. You can also schedule several exercise sessions a day – always providing that no negative
cardio-pulmonary symptoms occur and that the physical capabilities of the patient are not exceeded. The intensity
of the therapy is correct if the strength, endurance and mobility gradually improve and the patient feels well.
Correct Posture
Always make sure that the patient’s posture is optimized when exercising with the Omnicycle
®
. The greater the
distance between the
Omnicycle
®
and the patient’s chair/wheelchair, the more the knee and hip or elbow and
shoulder joints are stretched. Therefore, you should start the exercise program with the Omnicycle
®
positioned at the
appropriate distance from the patient’s chair/wheelchair to insure comfortable range of motion.
Active and Assisted Exercising
Assisted
exercising means that the patient’s limbs are moved by the Omnicycle
®
without any effort on the part of
the patient. The movement is provided by the Omnicycle
®
.
NOTE:
For bariatric patients, or those with larger limbs, the motor power may need to be increased.
When first switched on, the Omnicycle
®
always starts with an assisted exercising phase with a preset resistance and
speed. When the patient starts actively exercising with the same motion, the Omnicycle
®
automatically changes over
to active exercising mode.
Active
exercising means that the patient uses his/her own efforts and energy to turn the machine’s cranks against a
set resistance level. There are several different ways in which the patient can set up the machine for active
exercising:
•
Set resistance
: the patient exercises against a set resistance level which does not change with speed.
•
Set power
: the patient works at a constant power output level (measured in watts). The resistance is
automatically adjusted and stays constant at any pedaling speed.
•
Heart rate limit
: the patient exercises at a constant power until the heart rate limit is reached. If the
patient’s heart rate rises above the set limit, the resistance is automatically lowered.
Muscle Hypertonia/Spasms
Muscle hypertonia can be effectively reduced by gentle and even movement on the Omnicycle
®
. The distance
between the
Omnicycle
®
and the patient’s chair/wheelchair should be minimized to reduce spasticity. If this is
combined with an upright sitting position and a short crank length, a reduction in the muscle hypertonia and
spasticity can be observed within a short time. This effect may last for several hours past treatment.
The exercise program should be established so as to achieve the correct “degree” of hypertonia reduction. If a
spasm occurs while exercising, the electronic circuitry of the Omnicycle
®
detects it and immediately stops the motor
– assuming the anti-spasm function has been activated (factory setting). The type of spasm suffered by most
patients is an “extension spasm”. On occurrence of an extension spasm, the Omnicycle
®
stops and then continues to
rotate
forwards
after a short delay. That forward rotation stretches the muscles and allows the spasm to recede. In
the event of the less common type of spasm, the “flexion spasm,” the Omnicycle
®
rotates
backwards
after a spasm
occurs.
