Mirror therapy is an easy and low-tech therapy technique. It’s essentially a therapy that tricks your brain into thinking that the weakened hand or arm is moving.

Stroke exercises: Using Mirror therapy and mirror neurons

What is mirror therapy?
Let’s start with the first question most people are thinking: what is mirror
therapy? Mirror therapy is an easy and low-tech therapy technique. It’s
essentially a therapy that tricks your brain into thinking that the weakened
hand or arm is moving. This is designed to stimulate a network of the brain
called mirror neurons to assist with hand and arm recovery
[https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-board] and is especially useful after stroke.

How can I do mirror therapy at home?
All you need is a mirror and a table!

 1. Place your affected arm behind a mirror so that when looking into the mirror
    the reflection of the unaffected arm appears in place of the hidden one.
 2. While looking into the mirror try to perform a series of basic movement
    exercises with both hands. The image that your brain receives from the
    mirror is a picture of two hands moving smoothly in unison. This mirror
    image ‘tricks’ your brain into thinking that your weakened arm is moving
    just as well as your other arm!




Why does it work?
Anytime you move your arm, it’s because motor neurons fired in your brain which
told your muscles to move. Mirror neurons, on the other hand, fire simply from
seeing a movement occur.
After a stroke, the motor neurons that make your muscle move are often damaged
on one side of the brain and leads to poor hand control. However, there is a
connected mirror neuron system that can still be triggered. Your conscious mind
knows that it’s just a reflection, but the illusion makes your brain think that
both hands are really moving and can jumpstart your connected motor system
recovery.


What exercises can I perform with mirror therapy?
Any repetitive movement exercise that isolates that hand and wrist is perfect
for use with mirror therapy. Typically, slow, small movements performed many
times are better in the beginning. Make sure you are thinking about both hands
moving. Don’t underestimate the power of a focused mind!

Some movement options include:

 * Open/close your fist
 * Touch your thumb to each finger
 * Turn your palm up and down
 * Drum your fingertips on the table
 * Give the mirror a thumbs up
 * Rest your pinky on the table and wave your wrist side to side.


Can rehabilitation technology devices trigger mirror neurons?
Virtual reality-based rehab tools are taking advantage of mirror therapy
principles with devices such as the Neofect Smart Glove
[https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-glove]. Instead of looking in a mirror, the
user watches a screen while playing games that require repetitive movements
similar to the mirror therapy exercises. The best part is, only minimal hand or
arm movement for the Neofect Smart Glove
[https://shop.neofect.com/collections/smart-rehab-solution/products/neofect-smart-glove] 
to be a good fit!

The user’s movement is magnified on the screen, tricking the brain into
believing that their affected arm is moving more than it actually is. By being
able to see these movements on the screen, which is called biofeedback, it
causes the same mirror neurons to engage. For more on biofeedback, see our
previous post here
[https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/how-can-biofeedback-jumpstart-your-stroke-rehab-program]
.

If you are interested in ways to upgrade your mirror therapy, check out the
Neofect smart rehabilitation devices by visiting Neofect Website
[https://shop.neofect.com/] or calling (888) 623-8984 [tel:+18886238984].

mirror therapy stroke

Stroke Exercises: Using Mirror Therapy and Mirror Neurons

With the abundance of stroke-related research, it’s important to remember that every stroke, just like every person, is different! Here are some examples.

Exercises for each stage of Stroke recovery

We understand that recovering after a stroke can be a confusing journey. Often,
it is helpful for people that have suffered a stroke and their caregivers to
have an idea about what to expect. With the abundance of stroke-related
research, it’s important to remember that every stroke, just like every person,
is different! For example, pre-existing conditions, complications and unexpected
side effects can affect how a person moves through a typical recovery timeline.
Below we list the typical steps in a stroke recovery timeline:

Acute care
Acute care is the time immediately after a stroke, typically within the first 7
days. During this time, internal systems, such as breathing and heart rates, are
stabilized by medical professionals to try to prevent a recurrence.
Rehab exercises and protocols are usually not done at this time unless cleared
by the physician. A therapist may visit and help change positions to reduce
joint stiffness, swelling and pressure sores.



Acute rehabilitation
Acute care is the time immediately after a stroke, typically within the first 7
days. During this time, internal systems, such as breathing and heart rates, are
stabilized by medical professionals to try to prevent a recurrence.
Rehab exercises and protocols are usually not done at this time unless cleared
by the physician. A therapist may visit and help change positions to reduce
joint stiffness, swelling and pressure sores.



Exercises during this period may focus on:

 * Self-care training: Self-care training focuses on adapting to perform
   everyday tasks, such as dressing and eating.
 * Mobility training: Mobility training focuses on learning to use a cane or
   walker, if needed.
 * Functional electrical stimulation: Electrical stimulation is used to help
   jump-start muscles that need a nudge to perform functional activities, like
   holding a spoon or turning a door knob.
 * Daily exercise routines: Daily exercise routines are important to see
   results. This is because the consistency in performing tasks helps create the
   repetition that is required to continue progressing.

Long term rehabilitation
At this point 1 year post-stroke, most people have returned home or to a long
term care facility.
Although most motor and functional recovery happens in the first 3 months, there
is evidence that therapy is helpful throughout a person’s lifetime. For this
reason, it’s important to never give up, neuroplasticity never expires!

Here are options to continue rehab at home:

 * Virtual reality: New technology is available which takes advantage of the
   brain’s ability to rewire itself. To learn more, check out the fun and
   engaging Neofect Smart Rehab products [http://home.neofect.com].
 * Wearable devices: Devices Maintain the gains you have achieved through
   monitoring continued exercise with a wearable fitness device.
 * Robotic assistance- impaired limbs sometimes need a little extra help. Check
   out the Neofect NeoMano [https://igg.me/at/neomano/] to find out about
   assistive grip technology.



To learn more about Neofect smart rehab devices, call (888) 623-8984
[tel:+18886238984] or email info@neofect.com.

Stroke Exercises

Stroke Exercises for Each Stage of Stroke Recovery

Research done on our RAPAEL Smart Glove and other therapy devices has shown that patients can achieve improvements even 20 years after the incident!

Why Neuroplasticity Matters to Your Rehabilitation

The research was done on RAPAEL Smart Glove and other therapy devices have shown that patients can achieve improvements even 20 years after the incident!

Why Neuroplasticity Matters to Rehabilitation

Neuroplasticity for Stroke Paitents' Rehabilitation


If you have been in rehabilitation for a brain injury
[https://www.neofect.com/us/for-home], such as trauma or a stroke you have
probably heard the term neuroplasticity. It might sound intimidating, but it is
one of the most important concepts related to recovery.

Neuroplasticity is simply a catch-all term to describe the many ways that the
brain and nervous system change, both in our everyday lives as well as in
recovery after an injury.

A Brief History


The word “plasticity” first appeared in an 1890 textbook called The Principles
of Psychology, written by esteemed philosopher and psychologist William James.
He describes the brain as a collection of pathways through which information
must travel. The information the brain needs to move the hand, for example, must
travel from point A in the brain to point B before the hand actually moves.

Usually, that information takes a specific path, one that is deep-seated that
path is tread many times just in the course of an hour; the brain learns to use
that path as the fastest way to get the hand moving. However, when something
happens to block that path, such as an injury or stroke that interrupts blood
flow to the brain, the information at point A still needs to find a way to point
B, just on a different path.

It’s a bit like Google Maps [http://www.google.com/maps]. If a traffic accident
causes delays on your normal commute home, Google Maps may direct you to take
different streets in order to get you home earlier.

How Times Have Changed


Studies on neuroplasticity and the brain’s ability to change itself are still
very new, having only started 50 years ago. Back then, the idea that the brain
could change in any way was unheard of. It was believed that we were born with
all the brain cells that we would ever have, and the brain was incapable of
regenerating itself. The medical community believed that any damage to the brain
was irreparable.Unfortunately, this school of thought still exists in the world
of neurologic recovery, even though scientific discovery continues to show that
we can indeed make changes and recover from damage to the brain and neural
pathways, even years and decades after the initial injury.

Patients still hear from their doctors and therapists that whatever improvements
they’ve made after a certain time (typically 6 months to a year) is all that
would ever be possible. Patients then feel like there is no reason to continue
with rehabilitation because it is simply “too late.”

Is It Ever “Too Late?”
Admittedly, the brain is best primed for re-wiring shortly after the injury or
stroke, meaning those new pathways are much easier to develop the closer
rehabilitation starts from the actual injury.

However, there are always opportunities for continued recovery. Research done on
our Neofect Smart Glove [https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-glove] and other
therapy devices has shown that patients can achieve improvements even 20 years
after the incident! The adult brain is not only capable of changing, but
actually does change continuously throughout life, in response to everything we
do and every experience we have.

What Does This Mean for Me?


Now that you understand the theory and science behind neuroplasticity, here are
the three most important principles of neuroplasticity that affect your
recovery.

 1. It absolutely is possible to see physical improvements years and decades
    after the stroke or brain injury. New brain mapping technology and rehab
    studies continue to provide scientific support to this notion.
    
    
 2. Effective training is mostly about how many repetitions of task-based
    movements a patient performs in any given session; how those repetitions are
    performed matters less. In other words, just do it!
    
    
 3. Studies have shown that patients need far more training repetitions during
    rehab sessions in order to maximize functional improvement after a stroke or
    brain injury. Average practice in clinical studies is about 30 minutes per
    day and recent research (Schneider et al, 2016) demonstrates that 80 minutes
    per day is actually ideal to maximize results.
    
    

You may now be wondering how you can fit in the required amount of repetitions
needed in your day-to-day life. The outpatient therapy that most people can
access through insurance, typically 2-3 visits per week for 30-60 minutes,
simply isn’t enough.

As you may have guessed, the Neofect Home Smart Rehab program
[https://www.neofect.com/us] was designed with repetitions in mind, and making
the best use of the time spent in training activities.

How, you ask? We’ll go over ways to increase repetitions and practice, and how
our products can help, in our next blog post!


If you would like to learn more about Neofect Smart Glove
[https://shop.neofect.com/collections/smart-rehab-solution/products/neofect-smart-glove] 
or any of our stroke rehabilitation [https://www.neofect.com/us/for-home] and
recovery products, please call at (888) 623-8984 [tel:+18886238984] or email 
info@neofect.com.

--

Reference: J Physiother. 2016 Oct;62(4):182-7