A new method of training for the lower extremity using unloading

Rehabilitation of the patient with lower extremity dysfunction is frequently limited to open kinetic chain exercise due to pain and weakness in weight-bearing positions. Although hydrotherapy has been used in the past as a method of reducing body weight forces, task-specific training is not possible due to the resistance offered by water and the inability to regulate load. This clinical commentary describes a new form of lower extremity rehabilitation through the use of Unloading, a controlled reduction in body weight during task-specific activities. Two case reports of professional basketball players with foot injuries are presented in order to describe this method of therapy, which, in the authors' opinion, has the potential for broad applications in physical rehabilitation and deserves further research.