Tilt Table Protocol For Physical Therapy

Introduction a padded table with a top capable of being rotated on its transverse axis so that a patient lying on it can be brought into the erect position.

Tilt table protocol for physical therapy.

The test can tell your doctor if faulty brain signals are causing low blood pressure. To use a tilt table the patient lies on top of the table on her back. A tilt table test is used to evaluate the cause of unexplained fainting. The supine position is again assumed for five minutes re equilibration.

Some tilt tables are designed to tilt a few degrees below horizontal while others go from a 90 degree angle to a completely flat 180 degree horizontal position. The physical therapist secures the safety straps around the patient then slowly elevates the table putting the patient into a standing position and monitoring her blood pressure and heart rate throughout the treatment. Tilt tables feature a footplate to support the patient s weight and offer positioning for the feet while standing in a tilted position. However with repeated use improvement in upright tolerance was observed.

The protocol involved a stepwise process to gradually raise the subject into a standing position on the tilt table platform at 10 intervals from 60 to 90. The patient remains supine for 20 minutes and is then tilted to 70 for five minutes. A clinical protocol for the use of the tilt table was developed and applied to subjects in the acute phase following a stroke.