The process involved:
- Initial clinician assessment to determine general health status and hand function ability.
- Identifying a patient’s initial goal, in consultation with the clinician.
- Establishing a set of hand training exercise regimens specific to the patient.
- Identifying immediate, short-term and long-term goals.
- Creating a structured exercise program for the patient, with a follow-up plan.
To attain the patient's goal:
- Fundamental components for each segment are identified.
- Methodology for each segment will focus on processes that promote greater neuroplasticity. Meaning that the brain will improve its capacity to rewire itself and to generate new neural pathways to replace those damaged by a stroke or brain injury.
- The MyHand™ System physical parameters (e.g. height, arm / wrist support etc.) are adjusted to suit patient needs and comfort.
- Appropriate feedback systems are put in place.
- We have leveraged an extensive understanding of neuroplasticity and post stroke or traumatic brain injury to develop and validate 16 distinct hand function protocols targeting various hand functions and associated activities of daily living (ADL).
A patient in their first meeting with their clinician, identifies an initial desired activity of daily living hand function goal.
The clinician will then perform a detailed assessment of current hand abilities and function. Based on the identified goal, the clinician will prescribe the appropriate exercises built into each MyHand™ System, to help with the hand training process to help ensure that patients reach their goal.
The natural phenomenon of the brain to retrain itself. Neuroplasticity extends to both individuals who are healthy and for those who have sustained an insult to the brain. If and when there is damage to one or more parts of the brain, due to stroke or trauma, the affected brain cells die and cannot regrow. The good news however, is that, appropriate training methods can enable other brain cells to start learning the new function, which the dead cells used to perform. This is achieved by creating new synaptic connections (or new connections between the existing brain cells), and thereby creating alternative neural pathways, which then enable the performance of the once lost function(s). The Recovery of lost function can be complete or partial depending on the extent of damage sustained by the brain and is very much dependent on the rehabilitation program followed.
