Advanced rehabilitation technology addresses the lack of motivation that can stand in the way of recovery. Using robot-assisted therapies, virtual reality (VR), and Gamification, therapists leverage the latest technologies to help patients rehabilitate their extremities.

Neurological damage can lead to spasticity or muscle atrophy. Spastic paralysis can affect individual muscles or entire areas of the body. The extent of the paralysis depends on which areas of the brain or spinal cord are damaged. Impaired motor function prevents people from performing activities essential to their independence. Writing, typing, or cooking may be difficult.

A fundamental goal of post-stroke rehabilitation is to optimize the functional use of the upper extremities. PT and OT exercises can help to decrease symptoms like tight and stiff muscles. Robot-assisted and VR-enabled devices also can help to reduce symptoms and are motivating.

Robot-assisted devices take a playful approach to upper extremity rehabilitation therapy that is both motivating and results-driven. Benefits include:

• Data-informed treatment plans. Robotic-assisted devices provide objective data that occupational and physical therapists analyze and use to shape their interventions. With data-informed treatment plans, therapists can prescribe more meaningful, goal-oriented tasks that accelerate and enhance recovery.
• Increased intensity and accuracy of exercises. With robotic-assisted devices, therapists can increase the frequency, dose, and intensity of therapeutic exercises. These devices also help ensure the accuracy of exercises by decreasing the chances of improper patient performance.
• Access to data. As patients continue to progress, robotic-assisted devices provide instant and concrete evidence of their continued progress. This information also helps demonstrate global improvements that can show patients how far they have come.

A study has found that when a patient enjoys an activity, the burden of recovery can be temporarily forgotten. Instead of simple sets of exercises, gamified devices engage and distract patients from the pain and hard work of rehabilitation.

VR-enabled devices present patients with virtual tasks, such as picking fruit or hanging laundry. The movements mimic their actual life. VR applications are not only engaging, but they are also helpful in reengaging the muscles and joints needed to perform such tasks.

Stroke can also affect a person’s motor function in their legs, leaving them with limited or no ability to walk. Therapists aim to get patients walking again by improving their lower extremity strength, speed, rhythm, and cadence. Gait rehabilitation is a mainstay of post-stroke recovery and helps to reduce the risk of falls. It helps to improve a patient’s balance and to regain walking ability, distance, and speed.

Traditional gait therapy challenges and encourages patients. But the exercises often require a lengthy setup process, risky patient transfer, and hands-on assistance. Therapy can also result in compensation instead of recovery. With advanced rehabilitation therapy, therapists and patients gain repetitions, attention, and precision that helps them maximize treatment.

Some devices use sensors to analyze a patient’s gait patterns more objectively and accurately. The device also uses analyzed data to personalize its training module to each patient. The objective data – such as cadence, stride length, gait cycle, and foot-floor angles – helps the therapist create a more visual and precise picture of how their patient is improving. This encouraging information can inspire a cycle of motivation that makes a marked difference in patient recovery.

A majority of stroke survivors endure some functional disability that increases their likelihood of falling. A combination of muscle weakness, unbalanced weight distribution and lack of equilibrium contribute to instability leading to post-stroke falls. For example, patients who are unstable and uncoordinated experience problems with transitions from sitting to standing.

Computer-assisted tools can help retrain the brain and help patients regain stability and coordination. With TYMO, for example, therapists gain a better understanding where the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems deficiencies lie. Then, they can fine tune prescribed therapies to target specific functions.

Advanced rehabilitation technologies use attention-grabbing games that facilitate the repetitive exercises required to relearn lost movements. These therapeutic games can boost self-esteem and self-confidence, enhancing the trajectory of patient recovery.

While some stroke survivors overcome obstacles with more ease than others, the healing journey is almost always challenging. That’s why seeking the right type of care makes all the difference. With its personalized, motivational approach, advanced rehabilitation technology has revolutionized post-stroke therapy. Still, a therapist will always be by your side to adapt technologies according to the patient´s needs. Technology will never be able to replace humans in rehabilitation, but it can make certain tasks easier for the therapist and the patient.

Sources:

Stroke Patients Motivation Influence on the Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy (2018)

The Improvement of Walking Ability Following Stroke (2018)

A Review of Robot-Assisted Lower-Limb Stroke Therapy: Unexplored Paths and Future Directions in Gait Rehabilitation (2020)