A new study shows robots can help patients gain mobility after a stroke.
A study published by the American Heart Association shows a gadget that moves a patients arms can help with upper body mobility.
The machine, which looks a lot like a machine used at department stores to check blood pressure, can move limbs in a repetitive motion to help patients regain their strength.
Researchers believe adding robotic therapy to other traditional therapies may provide the best recovery.
“Combining robotic exercise with regular rehabilitation may be the key to successful intervention,” said Kayoko Takahashi, Sc.D., O.T.R., lead author of the study and clinician and research associate in the Department of Occupational Therapy in Kitasato University East Hospital in Kanagawa, Japan. Robots could allow therapists to focus on helping patients master daily activities while maintaining repetitive training, Takahashi said.
The study was based on 60 stroke survivors from Japan. All of the participants had suffered a stroke, and received robotic therapy every day for six weeks.
In many cases, stroke can leave a person with a paralyzed or limp arm, but robotic therapy may provide a window into a patient’s future.
“Many post-stroke patients have given up hope of recovery of their affected arms,” Takahashi said. “Participating in such robotic exercise is therefore expected to give patients insights about their future ability and a more positive image regarding their affected arm, increasing their self-efficacy and motivation toward rehabilitation.”
The other bonus to robotic therapy is a machine can provide repetitive motion over and over, while other person to person therapy can vary.
“Further research using larger groups of patients is necessary to investigate the efficacy of such robotic exercise in more detail,” Takahashi said. “However, this is a good first step.”
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