AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill in Axminster - the First Public-Access Machine in the South West
If walking has become painful – because of arthritis, a knee replacement, a hip replacement, or long-term joint stiffness – the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can help you move with far less impact and far more confidence.
East Devon Physical Therapy introduced the first publicly-accessible AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill in South West England. Under the leadership of Founder and Clinical Director Guy Sweetman FSST, we brought this technology – more commonly found in professional sport and specialist NHS settings – into everyday clinical practice, so local patients can access the same rehab tools used by elite athletes.
At our Axminster clinic we use AlterG to support everyday mobility (walking tolerance, stairs, confidence) as well as return to sport. It’s ideal when you need the benefits of walking exercise, but full body-weight loading is currently too uncomfortable.
What Is the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill?
AlterG is a specialist treadmill that uses air pressure technology to reduce your effective body weight while you walk (or run). That means you can practise a natural walking pattern while taking pressure off painful joints.
You can typically:
- Walk while bearing as little as 20% of your body weight
- Increase weight-bearing gradually as pain settles and strength improves
- Exercise with less joint stress, often with better comfort than ground walking
Who Is AlterG For?
AlterG is particularly helpful for people who want to keep active but struggle with impact, including:
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Hip osteoarthritis
- Knee replacement rehabilitation, when appropriate for your stage
- Hip replacement rehabilitation, when appropriate for your stage
- Persistent knee pain or hip pain that flares with walking
- Back pain aggravated by impact or prolonged walking
- Reduced confidence after a fall or a period of deconditioning
- People who need a safe way to build walking tolerance for holidays, hobbies and daily life
And yes – it’s also excellent for runners and active people returning from injury.
Why AlterG Works So Well for Arthritis and Joint Replacements
For many people, the hardest part of rehab is simply this: walking hurts, so you walk less, you lose strength and fitness, and everything gets harder.
AlterG helps break that cycle by letting you:
- Start moving sooner and more comfortably
- Build walking capacity without repeated flare-ups
- Improve confidence in a controlled, supported environment
- Progress in small, measurable steps - time, speed, incline, body-weight %
What Happens in an AlterG Session?
We keep it calm, safe and tailored. Depending on your needs, we may:
- Check your current symptoms, walking tolerance and goals
- Set the right body-weight support level, so it feels comfortable but still productive
- Start with a manageable walking dose, often shorter than you think
- Progress gradually over sessions as your tolerance improves
You can use AlterG supervised (guided rehab and progression) or, for confident users following a plan, unsupervised – depending on what’s safest and most effective for you.
Common Goals We Help With
People often use AlterG to:
- Walk further with less pain - shopping, dog walking, days out
- Improve confidence after surgery or a long period of reduced activity
- Rebuild leg strength and stamina after a knee/hip replacement
- Maintain fitness while protecting joints
- Transition back to outdoor walking with fewer flare-ups
- Return to sport
Integrated Rehab - Best Results Come From a Plan
AlterG works best as part of a broader programme. Depending on your situation, we may combine it with:
- Physiotherapy / sports therapy rehab
- Strength work in our rehab environment - key for arthritis and post-op outcomes
- Gait assessment, if walking pattern is contributing to pain
- Other treatments, where appropriate
What Our Patient Say
“My wife has major probems with arthritis and a badly healed leg bone, and to add to her problems, suffers from severe anxiety. Yet the patience shown and the work done in only a short session was clear testament to their skills in treating all sorts of problems. We shall be returning soon.”
– Philip Stainer, Axminster
AlterG Treadmill Near You
Our AlterG is based at our Axminster clinic (Woodmead Road, EX13 5PQ), and we regularly see patients travelling from Seaton, Lyme Regis, Honiton, Sidmouth, Chard, Exeter, Bridport, Yeovil, Dorchester and Taunton.
