We began our day by meeting Gogoa professionals in their rehabilitation space in a private hospital. We learned about the exoskeletons used for aiding in walking rehabilitation for patients who lost the ability to walk by themselves, as well as some common exercises conducted during the rehab appointments. They also have these exoskeleton technologies but on a smaller scale such as the knee. Another technology they demonstrated was an electric stimulation of the vagus nerve. It was interesting to observe the difference in the appearance of the public Gorliz hospital and this private facility.
Our next stop was the university’s physical therapy department building. We got an in-depth tour of the labs and rooms where students would learn how to care for patients. The labs were very focused on biomechanics and it was interesting to mesh engineering into physical therapy practices and rehabilitation.
We returned back to the engineering school to listen to Dr. Abramowich’s presentation which discussed research in women’s health, particularly pelvic floor disorders (PFD). These disorders can be extremely debilitating, and a large proportion of women will be impacted by a PFD at some point. It was fascinating to hear about the physics involved with PFDs, as well as the evolution of treatments, and where the technology is heading. He and his colleagues are working on developing an artificial intelligence model that can detect individuals who are more susceptible to developing one of these conditions after experiencing childbirth. It was exciting to learn and hear about a field of biomedical research that involves a typically overlooked subject in women’s health.
Our busy day continued when we took a bus to San Juan de Gatzelugatxe. Immediately upon disembarking the bus we were struck with the most amazing views. The hike down was incredibly scenic and the water and the greenery were so vibrant. We hiked down the mountain to reach the bridge where we had to eventually hike back up to reach the top of an island. There, a few small buildings of what used to be a covenant remained, and we even pulled on the bell in the building. The view from the top of the mountain was incredibly spectacular, and completely unlike anything we’ve seen on this trip. We briskly walked back down to the bridge, but that’s when the real journey began… the steep hike back up the mountain. No amount of hiking up cardiac hill would have prepared me for the trek back to the bus. It was quite the feat.
Our day concluded with a quick bus ride to the beach and some gelato, and overall we had another successful day in Spain!
