Move early for your stroke therapy and often to increase function.  Learn about effective stroke exercises with Smart Glove and Smart Board packages.

Stroke Therapy and Exercise: Move Early and Often to Increase Function

About Effective Stroke Exercise and Stroke Therapy


Act fast for your Stroke Therapy!

Nearly 75% of stroke survivors have difficulty with hand and arm movement after
stroke and only about 20% experience some functional recovery in the first 6
months. Focus on upper extremity exercise, particularly during inpatient
rehabilitation, is surprisingly low. In our previous post on stroke therapy dose
[https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/does-therapy-dose-really-matter-for-stroke-recovery/]
, we discussed the importance of greater intensity. When it comes to upper
extremity exercise and therapy, it seems that more is better for functional
outcomes.

Another way to increase stroke therapy dose is to apply an exercise program like 
the GRASP program [http://neurorehab.med.ubc.ca/grasp] that can be easily
self-administered and is flexible enough to work with a range of impairments.
When started early on after stroke in an in-patient setting, four weeks of GRASP
training improved arm and hand function compared to an education program.
Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) can increase the dose of functional
training. Modified protocols are available to increase patient tolerance. Talk
to your therapist to see if these exercise and activity approaches would be a
good fit for your needs.

It’s also important to start moving EARLY when the brain is primed to re-wire
and re-organize itself. Neuroplasticity
[https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/why-neuroplasticity-matters-to-post-stroke-rehabilitation/] 
is the brain’s ability to find alternative pathways for the area of the brain
that was damaged due to a stroke. If we were able to encourage an intensive
therapeutic program early in stroke or brain injury recovery, using a Smart
Rehabilitation Solution like the Neofect Smart Glove
[https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-glove] or Smart Board
[https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-board], it is likely that we could improve
motor function by taking advantage of the brain’s plasticity through repetition.



Post stroke depression is a common after effect of stroke for many individuals.
Depression has been found to have negative effects on functional recovery.
Physical exercise may help in providing a supportive treatment for depression.
It has been found that those that are able to manage post-stroke depression have
greater functional outcomes as well. The take away, exercise can assist in the
management of depression and prolonged depression can keep a stroke survivor
from making the fullest recovery possible.

Move as soon as possible for your stroke therapy when you plan your exercise
program after stroke! Our Smart Glove and Smart Board packages come with
clinical support to allow you to maximize your use of our devices for your
continued stroke therapy and exercise. As you look at different options for your
stroke recovery, our Smart Rehab Solutions may be a good fit for your needs,
call us to discuss your individual rehabilitation goals: (888) 623-8984
[tel:+18886238984].


*Neofect Home Inquiry:
-www.neofect.com [https://www.neofect.com/us]
-Phone: (888) 623-8984 [tel:+18886238984]



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References

 * The future of stroke rehabilitation: upper limb recovery ACNR (
   https://www.acnr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Page-61.pdf)
 * Winstein, et al. (2016). Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and
   Recovery (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/STR.0000000000000098)

Repetition

"how often should I be doing my exercises?" This is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear in rehabilitation practice.  Find out whether therapy dose is so important or not for stroke rehabilitation and recovery.

Does Therapy Dose Really Matter for Stroke Rehabilitation & Recovery?

Does therapy dose really matter for stroke recovery?

Does therapy dose really matter for stroke rehabilitation and recovery?
One of the most frequently asked questions that we hear in rehabilitation
practice is “how often should I be doing my exercises”? When it comes to the
dose or frequency of therapy for gait retraining, upper extremity function and
motor relearning in general, how much is enough in terms of stroke
rehabilitation and recovery?

The more we learn about the brain and neuroplasticity
[https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/why-neuroplasticity-matters-to-post-stroke-rehabilitation/]
, the more specific we can be when it comes to understanding how much therapy
for stroke rehabilitation and recovery is needed to result in functional
improvement.

Is consistency more effective, for example, a more regular routine of therapy
activities 5-7 days per week or fewer days per week for longer sessions? How
many more repetitions do individuals need to do per session in order to see the
improvements that will allow them to use their hand and arm more effectively?

From recent research, we understand that we need to be doing about 240% more
time with task-based therapy exercises than the “norm”. A standard session is
typically about 25 minutes and based on research looking at outcomes of the same
treatment for different lengths of time, it is recommended that an individual
spends 60 minutes or more in therapy to see desired functional outcomes
(Schneider et al, 2016).



Virtual reality solutions like the Neofect Smart Glove
[https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-glove] for hand rehabilitation and Neofect
Smart Board [https://www.neofect.com/us/smart-board] for upper limb
rehabilitation training, allow for a high intensity, high repetition program in
a reasonable amount of time. A study by Stanford Medical Center, which is still
on its way to being published, showed that it was more beneficial to perform the
Smart Glove program consistently daily or at least 5 days per week versus doing
longer sessions less frequently. Consistency AND dosage are both important for
lasting change to take place in an individual’s range of motion, coordination
and timing.



> To meet the target amount of dosage, you have to be engaged in what you’re
doing, or you won’t stick with it. Look at what some of our Smart Glove and
Smart Board users had to say about how their rehabilitation program was engaging
in order to increase their dosage of therapy:

Tim G. - Stroke


> “I couldn’t depend on the therapy I had two hours a week to continue my
recovery; I needed to do more, which is where the Smart Glove came in. The Smart
Glove gives you a smart way to efficiently exercise. If you’re able to use it
regularly you’ll do a lot of good for yourself.”

Chris J.- TBI


> Before the Smart Glove, my coordination was really bad. I’ve improved
tremendously. Initially I couldn’t lift or break an egg or cut my meat and now I
have the coordination to be safe doing that. It made therapy fun and
motivating!”

Kay K.- Stroke


> “...after using the Smart Board for a month, I find myself using my affected arm
almost automatically for small tasks like turning on lights or making the bed.
The way that the training is structured, I know that I can work hard for 3
minutes or 5 minutes and then move on to a new game, so it is easy to stay
motivated.”


Call us at (888) 623-8984 [tel:+18886238984] to learn more the Neofect Smart
Rehabilitation Solutions today and increase the dosage of your therapy program
to improve your results.


*Neofect Home Inquiry:
-www.neofect.com [https://www.neofect.com/us]
-Phone: (888) 623-8984 [tel:+18886238984]