Using stroke rehabilitation equipment at home often motivates survivors to exercise regularly. Daily exercise keeps the brain stimulated and energizedneuroplasticity, the mechanism the brain uses to rewire itself, which is crucial during stroke recovery.
Written exercises alone can help, but adding a handy stroke rehab kit expands the types of exercises you can do. To help you find the right equipment, this post provides an overview of the best stroke rehab gears to use at home.
We update this post every year to keep it current and relevant. All Amazon links are not affiliated, which means we don't get paid if you click on them. Flint Rehab products are owned by us. Let's do it!
Stroke rehabilitation devices that help stroke survivors walk
Fast80%of stroke survivors fightHemiparese, implying weakness on one side of the body. When this occurs, survivors are more likely to compensate for difficulties and problems walking.
Some of the best tools to help stroke survivors walk again are those that target the feet, legs, torso, and arms. All of these major muscle groups contribute to your gait. It's a full body exercise!
If you're looking to improve your ability to walk, consider these stroke survivor devices that target your legs, core, and possibly more:
lying exercise bike
Recumbent bikes are an excellent tool for stroke survivors who want to develop the necessary walking skills. Bicycles encourage bilateral movement, which is helpful for people with hemiparesis because the unaffected leg can help the affected leg. While this may seem like cheating, it is actually helpful for rehabilitation as it stimulates the brain.
Unlike regular exercise bikes, recumbent bikes are generally better suited for stroke patients because they offer more support and a smoother experience.
FitMi full body home therapy
FitMi is an interactive neurorehabilitation tool that motivates you to exercise your whole body. At the beginning of your training session you can choose which muscle groups you want to train: legs, trunk, arm and/or hand. FitMi then selects the appropriate rehabilitation exercises based on your skill level.
FitMi has helped many survivors regain the ability to walk and perform other daily activities such as driving and typing. The device tracks your progress and "levels" your workout when you're ready to keep you in tip-top shape. It's a great way to engage in therapy between visits to your therapist at home.
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Balance-Boards
If you're on a balance board, make sure to hold onto a table to begin with for stability. This helps challenge your balance and target your vestibular system. These are essential items for Survivors looking to improve their walking ability.
Balance boards with swinging bases, like the one pictured above, offer more stability than single-point balance boards. Go from one to another and always stay safe by using these tools carefully.
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stability balls
An exercise ball is a simple stroke rehabilitation device and is safer to use than a balance board. It is commonly used forCore-Rehabilitationsübung; and a strong core is essential for improving balance and walking ability.
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Dumbbells and wrist/ankle weights
However, stroke recovery is not just about range of motion and mobility. Strength training is important to tackle everyoneMuscular atrophywhich may have occurred after a long period of inactivity.
To increase the strength of your arms and legs, dumbbells and wrist weights are an easy and inexpensive option. Use them for upper body exercises to not only stimulate the brain and aid recovery, but also to promote muscle growth. You can also often attach wrist weights to your ankles for double the benefits.
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Premium Stroke Rehabilitation Equipment
Not all stroke patients need the latest equipment to see results. However, quality stroke rehabilitation equipment can be motivating and help encourage consistent therapy.
VonRepetition and persistence are the keys to recovery, consider these premium stroke recovery tools to use at home. It's always a good idea to check these with your therapist to make sure they're right for you.
Music therapy for gloved hands
MusicGlove is a music-based hand therapy deviceclinically provento improve hand function within 2 weeks with a daily use of 25 minutes. It works by motivating you to practice manual therapy exercises while playing a music game. During a single session, most users will perform hundreds of repetitions, which helps stimulate the brain and promote neuroplasticity.
If you're looking for something that motivates you to exercise your hand every day, the MusicGlove is the perfect choice. also does agreat gift for stroke survivorsbecause it's fun to use, and some survivors even forget they're in therapy while using it.
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gun salesman
Arm peddlers offer another form of bilateral exercise. This means that both arms move at the same time. Under bench ergometers can sometimes be used as arm and leg peddlers if you're looking for a creative way to double use your stroke rehabilitation kit.
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electrostimulation device
Electrostimulation is an effective methodevidence basedTools for stroke survivors, especially for people with unilateral paralysis (hemiplejía) or severe muscle weakness. It works by sticking pads to the skin over the targeted muscles and providing gentle electrical stimulation that helps the muscles contract. It's a great way to get paralyzed muscles moving and stimulate the brain.
Before you begin, it's important to work closely with your therapist to learn where to place the paddles and how to safely operate the device. Positioning isn't always intuitive, so guidance from your therapist is essential.
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Arm and hand stroke rehabilitation equipment
After you've trained larger muscle groups, it's important to train your hand and fingers. Fine motor skills are essential for performing activities of daily living like brushing teeth or using utensils, and there are many stroke rehabilitation devices that can help with these goals.
To improve arm and hand mobility, consider these helpful stroke recovery tools:
mirror box
mirror therapyis a hand rehabilitation method that uses a table mirror to create a mirror image of the unaffected hand. When you exercise your unaffected hand, you "trick" your brain into thinking both hands are moving, which helps build neuroplasticity and encourage movement in the affected hand (even if you're not intentionally moving it).
If you suffer from hand paralysis or severe spasticity (egclosed hand), mirror therapy is a great option.
arm skates
At first glance, arm skates might seem like boring recovery tools, but they can be useful for increasing range of motion while limiting the amount of work required. They are not used for strength training. Instead, they help reintroduce movement to the affected arm.
therapy mass
Therapeutic mass is popularPhysiotherapie-Toolwhich can help improve fine motor skills, strength and range of motion. Some hand-strengthening exercises involve squeezing the dough, while some coordination exercises involve stretching the fingers. We cover all of these practices in ourMassage Therapy Guide.
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Hand exercise balls with extension attachment
Typical hand exercise balls look like a regular stress ball, which can be a useful tool in injury recovery. For a little upgrade, you can try these exercise balls, which also come with finger loops for finger extension. This helps you focus on flexion and extension without missing a beat.
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Aphasia Rehabilitation Devices
Not all stroke rehab equipment is designed to help with movement. There are also tools that help with communication and cognition.
These tools are great for people with aphasia, communication disorders, or other cognitive difficulties such as poor concentration and memory. Just as practicing rehabilitation exercises helps improve movement, practicing cognitive exercises helps improve cognition.
Here is our recommendation for improving language, communication and cognitive skills after a stroke:
Talking app and cognitive CT therapy
The CT Speech & Cognitive Therapy app includes over 100,000 speech and cognitive exercises. When you start, the app assesses your needs and ability, then assigns you the appropriate exercises to practice. It's like having a virtual speech therapist available at all times. And your own audiologist can even help you match your workouts through the app!
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How to choose the right equipment for you
When shopping, it's important to look for tools that motivate you. Ultimately, results come from repetition and consistency. Look for devices that you can use every day.
When you enable neuroplasticity through repetition and consistent therapy, you will see permanent, long-term results.
While all stroke rehabilitation teams aim to improve your function and mobility, not all strokes are created equal. As a matter of fact,Every hit is different, meaning every recovery will be different.
Not all stroke survivors need everything on this list. In fact, there may be few items that meet your unique needs. It's important to be clear about your recovery goals so you can choose the right team.
When you're feeling lost, your therapist is a great resource. You can also look for recovery tools that are similar to those you used during your time with your therapist.
To help you find even more clarity, consider these questions as you search for the best stroke rehabilitation team for your goals and needs:
- Will it help me get high reps?
- Can I imagine using this all the time?
- Am I tempted to go to therapy?
If something meets all of these criteria, it's a great investment on the road to recovery.
It's time to shop!
We hope this summary of stroke rehabilitation equipment has helped you find the right tools for your recovery. Whether you're going big with a recumbent bike and e-stim or going small with simple therapy putty, they all help if you use them regularly. Of course we wish you a lot of fun with the gamified game Flint Rehab in the future.neurorehabilitation devices.
Whatever you choose, we hope it will inspire you to engage in therapy. This is how you see the best results.