Advanced Tools for Stroke Recovery: What’s New in the Clinic and at Home?

After a stroke or other neurological injury, patients and their families often ask their therapists, “What can we do to help maximize stroke recovery as quickly as possible?” In these situations, we know there is an arsenal of tools available to therapists to help facilitate, augment and maximize stroke recovery, but how do you know which tools will be the best fit for each individual patient? Read on to learn more about some of the devices available from ReWalk Robotics that have specific applications for stroke rehabilitation.

You can also check out ReWalk’s full line-up of neurorehabilitation solutions available in the US here.

Advanced Tools for Stroke Recovery in the Clinic

Many devices are available to help therapists tailor rehabilitation sessions specifically to the needs of an individual patient. These devices are properly considered “tools” in the hands of a skilled therapist, because they still require skilled intervention and critical thinking in order to maximize their effectiveness and drive patient progress toward individualized patient goals.

ReStore Exo-Suit for Post-Stroke Gait Rehabilitation

The ReStore Exo-Suit is a soft exosuit which enables therapists to deliver targeted physical assistance to the patient’s paretic leg during the push-off (propulsive) and swing (ground clearance) phases of gait. ReStore is uniquely capable of providing assistance and retraining to plantarflexion function, and its use has been demonstrated in clinical studies to improve propulsion symmetry and walking function in individuals post-stroke. For patients with some recovering ambulatory capabilities, the ReStore is an ideal tool for helping to train proper propulsion-based walking mechanics to promote more efficient and faster walking with fewer gait compensations.

MyoCycle Pro FES Therapy Cycle

The MyoCycle Pro line of FES therapy cycles uses customized software which allows therapists to quickly set up an FES cycling session which is automatically calibrated to coordinate muscle stimulation in combination with cycling movements that provide either assistance or resistance based on the individual patient performance. FES cycling is a well-established therapy for individuals with complete paralysis due to neurological injury, but the ease of use and fast setup time of the MyoCycle Pro also makes it an ideal tool for providing shorter bouts of FES therapy to patients with hemiparesis post-stroke as a means of “priming” the nervous system in preparation for gait training and other ambulatory activities within the same session.

MediTouch Biofeedback Game-Based Movement Therapy

The MediTouch uses wearable sensors to detect movement in the patient’s hands, arms, legs, head, or body, and uses these movements to enable gameplay with interactive online games. Therapists can customize gameplay to target specific therapeutic activities and create motivating and dynamic therapy sessions with high repetitions of targeted activity-based movements to promote improved ROM, strength, balance, or dexterity.

What Tools are Available for Patients to Maximize Stroke Recovery in the Home?

Patients also often want to know how they can continue their therapy at home, either between therapy sessions or after discharge.

MyoCycle Home FES Therapy Cycle

The MyoCycle Home line of FES cycles is available by prescription for patients seeking to develop home exercise programs which include FES cycling. Continued, regular use of FES cycling can be a great way for patients to maintain the health benefits they experience in physical therapy throughout their daily lives.

MediTouch Biofeedback (Self-Practice Programs and Tele-Therapy)

In addition to the in-clinic applications of the MediTouch systems, patients can also use personal models of the MediTouch devices to access the games and online software from the comfort of their own home. Therapists can set up pre-configured games that patients can play independently via self-practice, or can communicate directly with patients and update game settings in real time via the MediTouch tele-therapy mode.