"The irony isnt lost on Bryan Moore and probably not on the driver who slammed into his car on April  shattering the lower legs of one of the most highprofile personalinjury attorneys in Denver. But appreciation of lifes weird turns doesnt translate into physical rehabilitation which is where a NASAinspired machine dubbed the AlterG AntiGravity Treadmill comes in. Its a stateoftheart device that allows people with lowerbody injuries to walk and even run in a simulated lowgravity environment. For Moore whose Bulldog lawfirm advertisements adorn area billboards its a godsend. From an orthopedic standpoint I got hurt worse than . percent of my clients Moore said during a recent rehab session with the AlterG. But this machine is miraculous. Actually its rooted in science The concept of using advanced differential air pressure technology for weight support was conceived by Robert Whalen a NASA researcher who was studying the biomechanics of exercise in space. The first version arrived in  developed by the namesake company in Fremont Calif. A secondgeneration commercial version came out in October . A recent morning found Moore gearing up for his twiceweekly minute workout on the machine during his regular therapy session at The Suites at Holly Creek a retirement community and assistedliving facility in Centennial where he spent several weeks before returning to his practice. He was assisted by Jennifer Lo Holly Creeks director of rehabilitation. At  the AlterG is expensive but the technology is simple. Compressed air is pumped into a plastic chamber over the treadmill creating lift. The patient is sealed from the waist down inside the chamber and a computer panel allows patients to take up to  percent of their body weight off their joints. So a pound man can wind up effectively feeling like he weighs only  pounds  a real boon when youre trying to rehab shattered shins as Moore is. Gearing up At first glance Moore looked like he was gearing up for a deepsea dive. Step  was getting into a pair of neoprene shorts topped with a stiff reinforced fabric that encircled his waist. This ring contained a zipper that when Moore stepped onto the treadmill was attached to another zipper forming a seal. Air was pumped in and Lo programmed the AlterG to let Moore walk at  percent of his pound body weight. His legs were effectively supporting a pound man. Moore who still limps badly   months after the accident started walking with alacrity  no trace of hobbling at all. The thing about this machine is that when patients get in here and offload their weight by  or  percent they can resume their normal gait Lo said. And theyre not just working their legs theyre getting a cardio workout too. As Moore walked on the treadmill he marveled at what it allows him to do. Im walking as fast as I did before the accident said Moore . Im walking as normal as I did a year ago. When his session ended the machines whirring stopped and the plastic bubble encasing his lower body deflated. Moore stepped onto the carpeted floor and took a few halting steps toward the leg brace he wears. Now here I am back in real life he said. There are only a few of the pound units in the area. The Suites at Clermont Park uses them. Ditto for Mountain View Physical Therapy in Evergreen Azura Senior Living in Boulder and the Life Care Center of Littleton. Mountain Views AlterG is available to the general public and athletes sometimes rent time on it to do speed work and interval training. Knee back rehab We use it a lot for patients doing postsurgical rehab for their knees and backs says Valerie Gluth a physical therapist and Mountain Views owner. It lets people walk with a normal gait so they dont develop bad habits that lead to other orthopedic problems. A limp is easy to develop and hard to get rid of. Elite distant runners such as Dathan Ritzenhein and Shannon Rowbury have used the AlterG and professional sports teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Englands Manchester United soccer club have used the machines. Theyre also used at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to treat injured soldiers and at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The AlterG treadmill is an excellent rehabilitation device Rowbury said. It was a huge asset to me when I was recovering from a stress fracture in my hip because it allowed me to reintroduce running in a safe lowimpact environment. I could gradually build up my strength so that when my bone was healed enough to tolerate fullbody weight running my muscles were strong enough to support me. The machines are also used to help obese patients  not just for training but in giving them incentive by showing them how their feet and knees would feel better if they lost say  pounds. I think theyre going to be everywhere with rehab units and with recreational and elite athletes too said Lo who is a trail runner and competitive ultra marathoner in her off hours."