The THERA-Trainer
success story

Innovation doesn't happen by chance. Nor do success stories write themselves. Within just a few years, medica Medizintechnik has grown into a company with 120 employees. Meanwhile, the THERA-Trainer brand is a leading innovator in device-assisted therapy and has been valued and appreciated by users, therapists and doctors alike for 25 years.

The history of the THERA-Trainer is not just the history of a company but a success story too, as revealed by many other factors – by the company’s numerous innovations and its broad range of therapeutic devices and concepts.

2022 - THERA-music

With the THERA-music app, patients can not only feel their activity and see it on the display during training with a THERA-Trainer tigo, but also hear it. The effect of more activity can be heard and experienced immediately. Directly out of cognition and neuro science research laboratories, smart algorithms turn your activity into music – revolutionary technology with great impact!

At the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Prof. Dr. Thomas Fritz and his team have been working intensively on the effect of music during exercise. In collaboration with the industry leader THERA-Trainer, a first application of this technology has been successfully developed for the field of neurological and geriatric rehabilitation.

2020 - THERA-Trainer bemo

THERA-Trainer bemo helps with quick mobilisation of bedbound patients in Intensive care units or critical care units; early rehabilitation. Furthermore, dialysis patients can also benefit from its use, during the dialysis sessions.

With bemo, THERA-Trainer introduces a completely new THERA-Trainer technology: T.drive.
T.drive is not only superior to previous drive solutions in terms of performance, it integrates the crank directly into the drive; the resulting closed surfaces guarantee extra safety and hygiene in accordance to strict requirements of ICUs, CCUs and dialysis centers.
 

2018 - THERA-soft for Cycling and Standing & Balancing

Effective - Convincing - Unique: New THERA-soft therapy software scores points with gaming content and detailed training evaluation for Cycling and Standing & Balancing devices.

The special thing about the new software release is that it recognises the device to which it is connected, and thus automatically provides the user with the right content. Depending on the setting of the treatment and the therapeutic goal, in combination with a THERA-Trainer THERA-soft provides numerous biofeedback illustrations and movement exercises that specifically support relearning motor skills and motivate patients to train with joy.
 

2017 - Complete Solution For Gait Rehabilitation

Measurably lower costs, greatly improved efficiency and increasing satisfaction of therapists and patients alike: With our Complete Solutions we offer a group therapy concept at all stages offering the opportunity to train strength, endurance and mobility, balance, standing and walking task-orientated with the help of latest robotic and computer technology.

2017 - THERAPY Specialist Magazine

In January 2017 the first issue of »THERAPIE« has been published by medica. The magazine is a professional journal for physio therapists, occupational therapists and everybody that is interested in modern rehabilitation therapy. 

Expert articles, reports, interviews and news from the industry on device-based therapy – understandable and compact. The second edition in August 2017 marked an important contribution to internationalisation: we needed to "reform" and THERAPIE is now THERAPY! 

2016 - THERA-Trainer lyra

Endeffektor Gangtrainer THERA-Trainer lyra

The merger with Ability Switzerland AG end of 2016 makes medica Medizintechnik GmbH a company with 130 employees and a distribution network in over 70 countries. More than that: the product line in the field of gait training includes now the »THERA-Trainer lyra«.

The modern end effector gait trainer offers intensive training at the performance limit in each phase of rehabilitation. That’s how the THERA-Trainer lyra creates best conditions to permit the user the way back into a self-determined daily life and the possibility to regain walking ability. 

2015 - THERA-Trainer mobi

The THERA-Trainer mobi is a lightweight, handy and high-quality leg and arm trainer ideally suited for getting elderly people mobile and for those with minor physical impairments. It has been specially developed for daily use in the home and for mobile use in healthcare facilities. Daily exercise, come rain or shine!

In April, an international jury selected the THERA-Trainer mobi for the »Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016«, a prize for good-quality design. This prestigious seal of quality is awarded by the Red Dot Jury only to products whose design is a significant cut above the rest.

2014 - Group Therapy

2014 saw the market launch of a new form of therapy for THERA-Trainers: THERA-Trainer group therapy. Targeted feedback on training progress for patient and therapist and improved training motivation by focusing on various stimulating tasks.

Interaction between users can now be requested and actively promoted via a shared monitor. After all, training together is fun for everyone!

2013 - Innovation in Gait Training

Learning to walk takes practice: The THERA-Trainer e-go makes »walking naturally« possible – a milestone in gait training.

The patient is fixed in position with a safety belt around the pelvis to prevent any fall. The balance device means that the pelvis and upper body can move freely and are actively involved in walking.

2012 - New corporate identity for THERA-Trainer | Introduction THERA-Trainer tigo

In 2012, the corporate identity (CI), i.e. the appearance of the company, was optimised.

How does the new CI show itself?

• A new, modernised brand logo THERA-Trainer is promoted - the company logo "medica" is no longer used in the communication.

• The new product names are a combination of THERA-Trainer and a product name. Thus, the two products THERA-live and THERA-vital will in future become THERA-Trainer tigo - i.e. a trainer with colour screens of different sizes.

• The product line "Cycling", is to be extended by the product lines "Standing & Balancing" and "Gait".

2012 - New biofeedback illustrations

New biofeedback illustrations for the THERA-vital were presented in 2012. The four biofeedback illustrations are compatible with the 10.4” colour screen including touch function and can be easily imported free of charge from a USB stick.

Keeper:

By means of active training, the user moves the keeper to keep out as many balls as possible. 

Hedgehog:

In this training program, users must shift their weight between their lower extremities to make the hedgehog move to the left or right in order to allow falling objects to explode.

Car:

To be able to overtake vehicles, users must tread faster than the predefined number of revolutions (passive number of rotations) (active training). Users must shift their weight to move the car to the left or right. 

Planet:

To avoid other spaceships and planets, users must move the spaceship up or down by muscle power.

2010 - New large-format colour screens

Today, customers expect large, clearly legible colour displays and straightforward operation. The new screens on the THERA-Trainer combine both these requirements perfectly.

Benefits:

Our new THERA-vital colour screens (5.7” and 10.4”) are extremely easy to read, regardless of your angle of view. Whether you are viewing from the side or from above, it’s easy to read off your training values (e.g. performance). This ensures additional safety while exercising. The extremely straightforward operating logic is nothing new, but still worth a mention. For example, the START/STOP traffic light control makes for especially easy operation. And what more could a user want than exercise that can be started at the push of a button.

2008 - REHACARE Design Award

We had already received awards prior to REHACARE 2008. The new design and improved functionality of our BALANCE-Trainer (today’s THERA-Trainer balo) won a prize in the GOOD DESIGN category.

To learn more about the REHACARE DESIGN AWARD, click here.

2005 - First colour screen for movement exerciser

The new THERA-vital with colour screen was the first movement exerciser of its kind on the market.

The medica developers asked themselves: »Who in this day and age would buy a TV or a mobile telephone with a black-and-white screen?« and began their work on this basis.

The colour screen makes a large number of new, biofeedback-controlled exercise options possible. The logical result: more motivation and fun while exercising and, even more importantly, greater success.

2004 - THERA-live

In 2004, the revised THERA-live movement exerciser set new standards.

2003 - BALANCE-Trainer

In 2003, a completely new business field was established at medica with the BALANCE-Trainer, the world’s first trainer of its kind.

The BALANCE-Trainer (now the THERA-Trainer balo) is a dynamic standing frame with BALANCE function.

For the first time, it enabled users to train actively and dynamically in a completely fall-proof environment. This was a first on the standing frame market!

2001 - Invention of Symmetry Training for movement exercisers

As the inventor of »symmetry training« medica integrates this function into the THERA-vital movement exerciser.

»Symmetry training« marked the launch of a new age in motorised movement exercisers. The idea itself is remarkably simple: muscle activity is recorded separately by the sensitive electronic control unit for the right and left leg and displayed on a large screen. This enables targeted therapy to be provided to right-left deficits in the legs, e.g. in the case of stroke patients. This in turn considerably increases the motivation of the user. At the same time, control of training is also possible based on an evaluation at the end of training featuring every important training parameter. The fact that the user is the focus of all further developments is demonstrated by the START/STOP traffic light control (straightforward operation) now used. 

1997 - First-ever biofeedback

medica is the first manufacturer and inventor to integrate voice control into the THERA-vital.

The screen of the new THERA-vital is also bigger (W 42 mm x H 60 mm). medica also integrates the first biofeedback into this new screen. The biofeedback of the THERA-vital shows how much motor power the movement exerciser currently needs to apply, e.g. to move the user's legs. This new biofeedback is therefore comparable with the »passive« biofeedback integrated in today’s THERA-Trainer tigo. As an additional safety function, the THERA-vital was the first movement exerciser to feature a voice-controlled emergency stop, a function that continues to offer the user a high level of safety. In addition, THERA-vital now has a pulse check as standard.

1997 - THERA-fit, THERA-fir plus, THERA-live and THERA-aktiv

In 1997, medica presented no fewer than four new movement exercisers: the THERA-fit, the THERA-fit plus, the THERA-live and the THERA-aktiv.

With the new movement exercisers THERA-fit (without motor) and THERA-fit plus (with motor), THERA-live and THERA-aktiv, medica began offering suitable training devices for the elderly and for those slightly affected.

1993 - THERA-vital

At the time, the newly developed THERA-vital set new standards in the field of exercise therapy.

The THERA-vital was the first motor-powered movement exerciser to feature a screen. Thanks to its microprocessor control – a cutting edge feature at the time – different therapy programs were now possible for the first time. Another first: the pedals are connected to the motor by a belt. This is still the standard mechanism for all motor-powered movement exercisers in the professional sector and makes an especially narrow design possible.

1990 - THERA-mobil

The THERA-mobil was medica’s first movement exerciser.

The "SDD controller" (a logical development of the anti-spasm controller) made medica’s position clear as a leading innovator right from the start.

The THERA-mobil boasted a modern design for its time and was the first movement exerciser of its kind to feature an ergonomic gap between foot rests, just like on a bicycle.

 

Innovation, professionalism and reliability: therapeutic devices & concepts by medica.

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In a nutshell: »For a life in motion« – this has been our philosophy for over 30 years.

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At a glance: what makes our products and our success unique.

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