A New Approach to PBT Balance Therapy
Kinesia Mission: deliver reactive balance training across all rehab segments
Founded in 2023 by physical therapist Mark Torok, DPT, MS, MBA, and engineer Chris O’Brien, BS and BMA, Kinesia was born out of a shared frustration with the inefficient or inaccessible tools used to treat balance issues, in particular in older adults at risk of falling. Mark, after two decades in clinical practice, saw firsthand how traditional methods failed to address the unpredictable nature of real-world balance challenges, along with the profound effects of falls on patients and their families. Chris, with a background in mechanical engineering, brought the technical expertise to match Mark’s clinical insight. Together, they envisioned a smarter, more effective solution: a device that could deliver controlled, real-life balance disturbances to engage the body’s natural reflexive responses.
Founding Vision
Their collaboration led to the creation of the PBT-1, a portable, affordable, and clinically versatile perturbation-based balance training system. The device simulates unexpected shifts in motion to safely challenge patients’ natural inherent balance and improve their reactive stability, helping prevent falls, speed recovery, and enhance performance in a $3B rehab market. Kinesia, named after the Greek word kinesis for movement, was born from this mission: to optimize functional performance through innovative technology that bridges neuroscience, clinical need, and engineering precision.
Fall-related injuries pose a real problem to the US healthcare system. 36 million older adults report falling each year in the US, with ER treatment for fall-related injury in that population occurring on average every 11 seconds! This poses an annual $80 billion (with a B) cost to the system in the United States, just for adults aged 65+ alone. In fact, falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in older adults, and for those requiring treatment, rehabilitation is costly, lengthy, and inefficient. With adherence to therapy protocols being variable at best, there is an opportunity for a new and improved therapeutic solution, such as the PBT-1.
And the clinical viability of such a solution? Treatment with a device like PBT-1 is reimbursable today using existing CPT codes, allowing for immediate revenue. This translates to treating more patients, more effectively, and for a broader array of conditions. From concussions to Parkinson’s to rehabilitation, the PBT-1 offers one platform for ortho, neuro, and fall-risk in a simple-to-implement portable form factor. The device is a “plug-and-play”, clinic-friendly design, requiring no clinic remodeling, and additional/external staff to operate.
Growth and Leadership
With the concept mechanism designed and built in 2022, Kinesia submitted a provisional patent in 2023 and secured a Rhode Island Commerce Innovation Grant Award that same year for further development. By 2024, a full patent application was filed, as well as completion of the Phase 0 prototype, including installation for beta testing. Kinesia was accepted into the NEMIC Accelerator with funding being allocated for market and business plan development, and participated as a pitch company in the Innovate Newport 2025 Industry Spotlight Series, which highlights key drivers in various Rhode Island’s industrial sectors. Kinesia is currently conducting market validation activity with OrthoRI group and is on track to develop a commercial-grade product in the coming months.
