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Freedom251 › Blog › patient preparation

How to Prepare for a Physical Therapy Session With a Robotic Exoskeleton

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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The safest preparation is simple: confirm your clinic’s instructions, wear comfortable clothing with socks and the footwear it approves, and report any medical change, new symptom, or skin problem before you are fitted. The therapist and care team—not the patient—decide whether a particular exoskeleton is appropriate and how it will be used.

Expect a clinician-led appointment that may include screening, equipment preparation, alignment and strap adjustments, an assisted transfer, and closely supervised standing or walking. Procedures, eligibility rules, appointment length, and equipment differ by device and clinic, so use the checklist below to turn the general guidance into your clinic’s exact plan.

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Contact the clinic before you go

There is no universal patient checklist for every robotic exoskeleton. A lower-limb gait system used after spinal cord injury may have different requirements from one used after stroke or another neurological condition. Call or message the treating clinic before the appointment and ask for its current instructions.

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Questions to ask when scheduling

  • What clothing and footwear should I wear?
  • Should I bring my usual walker, crutches, braces, or another walking aid?
  • Does the therapist need medical records, a referral, or other documents?
  • Would you like a caregiver to attend, particularly for transfers or transport?
  • How long should I plan to be at the clinic, including fitting and recovery time?
  • What is the clinic’s procedure for requesting a pause or reporting discomfort during fitting and walking?

These questions are practical safeguards, not a substitute for the therapist’s assessment. Published protocols describe particular equipment and workflows, while clinics may adapt them to the patient, staffing, room, and device available that day.

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What to wear

A published ExoAtlet method advises comfortable clothing, socks, and shoes without heels. Leggings or similarly close-fitting, flexible clothing can make it easier for staff to position the device and inspect areas where straps or pads contact the body. Flat walking shoes with little or no heel are a protocol example, not a rule for every exoskeleton.

Confirm footwear rather than guessing

Ask whether the clinic wants a particular sole, shoe height, fastening system, or indoor pair. The device may need a specific foot position for alignment. Do not assume that a new pair of shoes, athletic shoes, or barefoot use is acceptable. If you arrive with footwear that cannot be fitted safely, the session may need to be changed or postponed.

What not to purchase or pack automatically

The ExoAtlet materials list mentions items such as a shoehorn, an adjustable stool, and possible assistive equipment including a walker or crutches. Those are protocol and handling items for the clinical team; they do not mean you must buy them. Bring a walking aid or brace only if the clinic asks you to, or if it specifically wants to assess the equipment you normally use.

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Tell the therapist about health changes

Give the care team a complete update before the device is put on. Patient-facing guidance describes medical and physical screening that can include skin condition, cardiovascular and respiratory considerations, ability to follow instructions, range of motion, upper-body function, and the ability to stand or transfer. The exact questions depend on the device and your treatment plan.

Report these changes before fitting

  • A new diagnosis, illness, injury, or other change in medical status.
  • New pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, unusual weakness, or another symptom that could affect standing or walking.
  • Skin breakdown, a pressure area, rash, open wound, bruising, or irritation where a strap, pad, cuff, or shoe may touch.
  • A change in your ability to sit up, stand, transfer, follow instructions, use a walker, or exercise compared with your previous visit.
  • Any concern that makes you uncertain about being fitted or moved into the equipment.

Do not wait for a strap to become painful before mentioning a skin problem. A therapist may need to modify the fit, choose another activity, or defer the session while the issue is assessed.

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Do not self-clear for treatment

Exoskeleton criteria are device- and purpose-specific. A published spinal-cord-injury guide discusses fit, joint range, upper-body capacity for some walking aids, ability to follow directions, heart and lung function, and skin integrity. An ExoAtlet method gives model-specific body measurements and lists potential impediments. Those thresholds cannot be transferred to another model or used as a home eligibility test.

A rehabilitation framework treats medical stability as a minimum for inpatient treatment and places the indication and device match with clinicians. If you are unsure whether a symptom or condition matters, disclose it and let the treating team decide.

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Understand what the screening is for

The screening is not a pass-or-fail test that you can complete alone. It helps the team decide whether the particular system can be fitted, whether you can participate safely, and what assistance or modifications are needed.

Fit and body movement

Staff may consider the device’s required body dimensions, joint range of motion, alignment, and any physical impediment that could interfere with cuffs, straps, or powered joints. A measurement that is acceptable for one model may not be acceptable for another.

Strength and assistance

Some walking programs require enough arm function to use a walker or crutches. The NICE overview of the Ekso system describes use in a rehabilitation setting for adults with leg weakness or paralysis from stroke, spinal cord injury, or another neurological condition who retain arm strength and can use assistive walking devices. That description is specific to the technology overview and its setting; it is not a universal rule for every exoskeleton program.

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Medical stability and skin

The team may review heart and lung considerations, current symptoms, and skin at contact points. Tell the therapist about changes even if they seem unrelated to walking. A safe fitting depends on the whole clinical picture, not just whether you can take a step.

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What happens during the appointment

Exact routines vary, but published ExoAtlet and Ekso descriptions show a common pattern: trained clinicians prepare a safe area, assess the patient, fit and align the equipment, assist with transfer, and supervise standing or walking.

  1. Room and equipment preparation. Staff make the area safe, check the exoskeleton and related equipment, and arrange any assistive device needed for balance or transfers.
  2. Clinical assessment. The therapist reviews your current status and confirms that the planned activity still fits the treatment goal. If something has changed, the plan may be adjusted before the device is applied.
  3. Fitting and alignment. The therapist positions the frame, aligns its joints with your body, and adjusts cuffs, straps, and other contact points. Speak up immediately if anything pinches, feels unstable, or creates pressure.
  4. Assisted transfer. Staff help you move into the exoskeleton using the clinic’s transfer method. Do not attempt to stand, pivot, or enter the device independently unless the therapist explicitly directs you to do so.
  5. Standing and walking practice. The first activity may be supported standing, weight shifting, stepping, or short walking practice. A walker, crutches, or another balance aid may be used. The therapist controls progression and remains close by.
  6. Review and next-step planning. The team considers how you responded and decides what belongs in the ongoing plan of care. The next session may use a different duration, level of assistance, or goal.

This is supervised rehabilitation, not a generic workout to copy at home. Device operation, progression, and dosage belong within a clinician’s plan of care.

Plan how you will communicate discomfort

Ask the clinic for its preferred stop or pause signal before fitting begins. There is no universal control procedure for every system. Agree on how you will communicate pressure, pain, dizziness, breathing difficulty, fear, or the need to stop if speaking becomes difficult during movement.

  • Report pressure or rubbing as soon as you notice it, especially over a bony area or a previously irritated patch of skin.
  • Tell the therapist if you feel unstable, unusually tired, light-headed, or unable to follow the next instruction.
  • Ask for a pause while a strap or alignment is corrected; continuing silently can make a small fit problem worse.
  • Never change a setting, disconnect a component, or attempt to walk away from the supervised area without direction.

Ask about time, training, and goals

Appointment length is clinic- and patient-specific. Ask how much time to allow for check-in, screening, fitting, transfers, walking practice, and removal of the device. A training figure from the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center describes 12–24 sessions in a spinal-cord-injury context to learn to use a robotic skeleton without stopping and potentially use it at home. That is a context-specific training range, not a promise about one appointment, your diagnosis, or your clinic.

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Your therapist should place the exoskeleton in a broader plan of care: identify the indication, match technology to your needs, set dosage, and review the result. A session may therefore focus on a small, measurable objective rather than maximum walking distance. Ask what the therapist wants you to practice and how success will be judged that day.

Questions that clarify the plan

  • What is today’s goal: fitting, standing, stepping, walking, transfers, or assessment?
  • What level of assistance or walking aid will be used?
  • How will the therapist decide when to pause, stop, or progress?
  • What should I expect after the session, and whom should I contact if a problem appears later?

Prepare for transfers and transportation

Getting to and from the clinic can be as important as the walking practice. Tell the clinic if you need assistance with a vehicle transfer, wheelchair positioning, or another part of arrival and departure. Ask whether a caregiver should attend. Published protocols include staff assistance with transfers, but they do not establish one transport arrangement for every patient.

Plan extra time rather than arriving rushed. A delayed arrival can reduce the time available for screening and fitting, and rushing a transfer adds avoidable risk. Follow the clinic’s instructions about where to wait and when to change clothing or footwear.

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If the clinic uses a different device or program

Do not compare programs only by the device name. Use the questions below to understand meaningful differences:

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  • Indication and patient fit: Which diagnoses and functional abilities does this program serve, and how does the team determine that the device matches you?
  • Inclusion and exclusion criteria: What body measurements, joint range, skin condition, medical stability, and upper-body function are required for this model?
  • Clinician training: Who will fit, transfer, operate, and supervise the device?
  • Assistive equipment: Will you use a walker, crutches, or another balance aid, and must you bring your usual one?
  • Fitting and transfer method: How will alignment be checked, and what assistance is available for getting in and out?
  • Goals and dosage: What activity is planned, for how long, and how will the team review your response?
  • Clinic instructions: What clothing, footwear, arrival time, caregiver participation, and communication signal does this site require?

These questions help you compare care processes without assuming that one exoskeleton is best for every patient. The available technology overview for Ekso dates from 2017, so it should not be used to infer current local availability or present-day product status.

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Common preparation problems and what to do

You are unsure whether your shoes are suitable

Call before the appointment and describe the shoes or send a photo if the clinic offers that option. Bring the pair the therapist approved, plus any alternative the clinic requests. Do not substitute a heeled shoe or change the foot position on your own.

You developed a rash or sore spot

Tell the clinic before traveling if possible and show the therapist the area on arrival. The team can decide whether the device can be fitted safely, whether padding or another adjustment is appropriate, or whether treatment should wait.

Your walking or transfer ability has changed

Report the change rather than trying to meet the previous session’s performance. The therapist may reassess assistance needs, transfer technique, or the planned activity.

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You do not know whether to bring a walker or brace

Ask the clinic. Some programs use an assistive device for balance, while the equipment and handling materials may be supplied on site. Bring your usual aid only when requested or when the therapist wants to evaluate it.

You are worried about stopping during the session

Agree on the pause signal before fitting starts. You can request a stop for pain, pressure, dizziness, breathing difficulty, fear, or any concern that makes continuing unsafe.

A practical day-before checklist

  • Confirm the appointment time, expected duration, arrival instructions, and contact number.
  • Ask again about clothing, socks, footwear, walking aids, braces, records, and caregiver attendance.
  • Write down new symptoms, changes in standing or transfers, and any skin concerns to report.
  • Prepare the clinic’s requested clothing and approved shoes; avoid experimenting with unfamiliar footwear.
  • Arrange transportation that can accommodate your usual mobility equipment and allow time for assisted transfers.
  • Plan to tell the therapist how you will signal discomfort or request a pause.

What a well-prepared patient contributes

You do not need to memorize device measurements or decide whether you qualify. Your most useful contribution is accurate information: how you feel today, what has changed since the last visit, where your skin is vulnerable, what assistance you normally use, and what you need to communicate during fitting. The clinical team then applies the device-specific criteria, chooses the appropriate level of help, and sets the session within your rehabilitation plan.

Arrive ready for a supervised assessment rather than an independent test. Comfortable clothing, clinic-approved flat footwear when requested, honest symptom reporting, and a clear stop signal make it easier for the therapist to fit the exoskeleton safely and adapt the session to your needs.

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patient preparationphysical therapyrehabilitationrobotic exoskeletonspinal cord injury

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