Rehab with Robotics: PT Helps Patients Walk Again

Dr. Michael Vu uses cutting-edge technology and mindfulness practices to help patients with neurological conditions restore mobility.

Patients often see Dr. Michael Vu for physical therapy because they’ve lost one of the most essential parts of their life—the ability to walk.

Many of them have multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. Others have suffered partial spinal cord injuries. No matter what challenges his patients face, Dr. Vu begins treatment the same way.

“I encourage all my patients to stay positive,” he said. “They have to believe that one day, there is going to be a change.”

Dr. Vu says he started practicing this approach in his early days in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). “The first step is to just have a conversation and get to know your patient.”

Then, the work begins.

Dr. Vu searches for interventions to help his patients regain strength and improve their mobility. One of his favorites is the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) lower-body exoskeleton, a wearable robotic device that senses neurological signals through muscles to help a patient move, mostly, to walk. His clinic, SoCal Elite Physical Therapy, is one of the first to employ this device.

“The HAL is designed to assist patients’ movements, not to move for them,” he explained. “When I decided to become a PT, I never imagined that I’d be utilizing technology like this.”

From SoCal to Worcester

Dr. Vu’s life growing up in Southern California was an active one, playing sports and spending time outdoors. He also learned not to take his body for granted when, in high school, a friend suffered a spinal cord injury.

“It sparked a curiosity about how the human body works, and I took my first kinesiology class,” he said. “I enjoyed learning about how movement is preventative and can improve a person’s quality of life.”

He followed this curiosity to an undergraduate degree from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, close to home. But for his doctorate, he chose a program on the opposite coast.

“There’s no way to describe how I felt at MCPHS other than Massachusetts had a very similar vibe to California,” he said. “I took a gamble, and it worked out beautifully.”

As a student, Dr. Vu’s last clinical rotation was at an outpatient medical center where he saw a mix of orthopedic and neurological patients. “I like the variety these specialties bring. I basically get to switch modes with each patient. To this day, I like to have a mix of both ortho and neuro patients in my practice.”

After graduation, Dr. Vu moved back to California and worked in a traditional physical therapy clinic. “I was seeing two or three patients in an hour, often passing them off to assistants, and it was just too much,” he said.

He later joined SoCal Elite Physical Therapy. The clinic's investment in the HAL exoskeleton marked a turning point in his career.

A Robotic Coworker

The HAL device is the only active lower-body exoskeleton approved for use in the U.S. It doesn’t move for the patient. Instead, the patient must do so with their mind. HAL reads this neurological signal via the patient’s muscles to initiate, assist, and enhance the movement.

But as with any physical rehabilitation, it takes time for patients to successfully use HAL.

“We have to calibrate the device to each patient’s capabilities, and each treatment plan will be different depending on what we see,” Dr. Vu explained. “Some patients need strength. Others are completely re-learning how to walk.”

In a few short years working with HAL, Dr. Vu has seen patients across the neurological condition spectrum. “Many patients see improved outcomes for the 10-meter walk test, two-minute walk test, and 30 seconds sit-stand test after using HAL.”

The improvements extend beyond the physical. One of Dr. Vu’s patients, a man in his 20s living with multiple sclerosis, shared his passion for producing music. Since going through physical therapy, Dr. Vu says he’s seen and felt a change.

“You can tell that he’s feeling a sense of importance in life. I’m always reminding him that he has a voice to inspire other people, so keep using it to make music.”

Becoming Physically and Mentally Strong

Outside the clinic, Dr. Vu applies many of the same principles he encourages in rehabilitation. He studies neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to adapt and form new neural connections through experience—and said maintaining a positive outlook can support that process.

“For me, positivity is energy,” he said. “The belief that there is hope or a chance is the strongest force that can change the mind and, eventually, the body.”

Dr. Vu is also fluent in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language, plays the piano and stays physically active.

“When we took our oaths during the white coat ceremony, it included a line about being a lifelong learner. I’ve committed myself to that to live a long, healthy life, and share it with my patients.”