These days, putting together a specialized rehab exercise program is as simple as pressing a few computer keys. PTs now have choices in well-designed software to aid in getting their patients on the right workout track as quickly as possible.

Advantages of Live Action

For Amy Krall, DPT, COMT, the new exercise program she is using is definitely a step up. A full-time therapist at Select Physical Therapy outpatient orthopedic and sports rehab center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla, Krall says, "You can only do so much with stick figures—video clips of live human figures makes all the difference. Now everyone has a computer or laptop, so it's just a better way to access the exercises. There's no paper to lose."

Krall feels fortunate to have encountered Kevin Rausch, designer of the computerized exercise program HomePrograms.Net. Krall met Rausch when they were both students in the physical therapy program at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. Staying in touch led to her awareness of the work he was doing, and when his new program came out she tried it right away. "It's on the Internet, so you can download it immediately."

The program is simple to use, Krall says, and "I can send e-mails to patients directly from the program. It's a lot easier than what I had been doing." The distinguishing factor, Krall reiterates, is the live-action video clips of the exercises, "plus there's a written description of the exercises, and every other month a new group of exercises is added." As HomePrograms.Net states on its Web site, "Therapists can quickly and easily create functional, Web-based video exercise programs that patients can access anytime, anywhere."

As for the future prospects of exercise software, Krall believes that, "Right now I can't really imagine anything better than what I'm using. I'm sure at some point there will be new advances, but for now I'm very pleased with what I have to work with."

Ease-of-Use Matters

HomePrograms.Net by Rausch Physical Therapy features live demonstrations of workouts.

For Kirk Painter, PT, Cert MDT, the secret of his clinic's success is a "lighthearted attitude, with the owners always on the floor making it fun for patients and staff." Painter and his three partner-PTs run Physical Therapy and Rehab Concepts, better known by its acronym PTRC, with clinics in San Marcos, Tex, and Wimberley, Tex (with a 30-mile stretch in between).

When it came to patient exercise programs, "We were using an old system that involved copying cards," Painter says. "No computer at all. Then we got computers and Exercise Pro [by BioEx Systems] as soon as it came out. No Internet yet, just a floppy disk."

Painter liked Exercise Pro because "it was intuitive. The way it's laid out just made sense. You can narrow your search very easily. For example, you click on 'lumbar,' then 'resistance,' 'stretch,' etc. There are lots of built-in protocols—herniated disk, ACL reconstruction, and so on. And I really like that it's editable; you can put in your own exercise," Painter says.

Painter believes the system is easy to use with no unusual challenges for either the therapist or the patient. He is concerned, however, that some patients, particularly older ones, may not have Internet access and therefore would not be able to access the program. On the other hand, BioEx is very receptive to suggestions from its users—Painter himself thinks that the company may have heeded his suggestion regarding improving a pull-down menu—and support is excellent. Painter also appreciates that he can e-mail patients an exercise program.

Exercise graphics from BioEx Systems' Exercise Pro product.

Painter would advise other PTs considering exercise software to "go ahead and compare value and pricing, and look for intuitiveness, completeness, and features such as good illustrations that are clear and easy to follow."

Finally, Painter likes the system because there are no ongoing fees. "We've purchased it and own it. Except for upgrades, there are no additional fees."

iPod and MP3 player Compatibility

Yet a third brand in this expanding market is the exercise program of choice for Tom DiAngelis, PT, co-founder of Comprehensive Physical Therapy Center, Cincinnati. With three locations in the greater Cincinnati area, he and co-owner Opal Riddle, plus a staff of 24, handle more than 20,000 patient visits per year and have been in business since 1988.

The ProTherapy DVD exercise software program can be viewed on iPods.

Tom first heard about computerized exercise programs 3 years ago when he was contacted by ProTherapy DVD, a company that was developing the software and was seeking input from PTs. ProTherapy installed its system in DiAngelis' office, and he has been using it with good results ever since.

DiAngelis especially likes the graphics, the live-action video that can be viewed from multiples angles. "You can manipulate the view to see the exercises from three different angles, which is quite useful for patients."

Another feature he finds attractive, which will be part of the newly upgraded system, is that the software can be downloaded onto iPods and MP3s. "The average age of patients is around 40," DiAngelis says, "and there's a large younger population that always has their iPods and MP3s with them, so this new capability should be quite appealing to them. I'm looking forward to the upgrade."

Prior to the exercise software system, DiAngelis, like most PTs, used exercise cards and photocopies, which, he says, "still have their place with patients who, for one reason or another, prefer them to computers."

But for creating the appropriate program for each patient, it's hard to top the options available through the software. "You can narrow your search to find just what you need. For instance, you can start with "core stabilizing," then go to muscles and joints, or, if you prefer, you can search exercises or equipment. You can also start with the movement, like lumbar flexion. You can build the workout from any starting point."

ProTherapy DVD is available in three different packages: the basic ProTherapy DVD Software, which includes more than 800 exercises; the ProTherapy Essentials, which adds an external DVD burner; and the ProTherapy Complete, which includes a new desktop PC plus the burner.

According to DiAngelis, learning where to find the exercises can be somewhat time-consuming in the beginning. However, a feature that makes this less of a problem is that you can rename the exercises for easier identification. Also, because of the time involved in burning a video to a disk, DiAngelis recommends that putting an exercise program together be done "in the evening," rather than while the patient is waiting, and that the task be assigned to aides whenever possible. "And you have to be careful what population you're using it for—some patients might prefer charts instead of a computer screen," DiAngelis says.

As for the future, DiAngelis would like to see the system more Internet-based for more rapid access and updating. He advises PTs who may be seeking exercise software to "research, research, research. Make sure the system is user-friendly and the program is suitable for you and your patient population."

While relatively new, to say that computerized exercise software is the wave of the future would be redundant; it's already here, and the market is expanding rapidly. It's just a matter of which systems' features, conveniences, and pricing are most appealing. There is already a very good selection to choose from.

Alan Ruskin is a staff writer for Physical Therapy Products. For more information, contact .