There are several robotic gloves for hand paralysis available to help people who have been affected by a stroke; however, it is important that you are able to get the most suitable glove for you. This is because these gloves are designed to perform different functions.
For instance, while some gloves help to prevent contractions from stiff hands, others can be used to improve mobility. This blog will discuss the benefits of robotic gloves for patients with stroke and the different types available.
Why you need gloves after surviving a stroke
Understanding how your hand movement can be affected by a stroke is key to helping you identify the most suitable type of stroke recovery glove for you.
Generally, a person suffers a stroke when the supply of blood in the brain is disrupted. This often results in several damages to the part of the brain deprived of oxygen-rich blood.
Sometimes these strokes affect the sort of the brain responsible for a movement like the motor cortex, disrupting the brain\'s ability to send signals and tell your muscles to move. This outcome is a major reason why people experience muscle weakness after surviving a stroke.
Although this weakness can affect your entire body, approximately 70% of stroke survivors experience this weakness in their upper limb hand. This is why your doctor will often recommend that you participate in regular therapy and exercises after surviving a stroke.
Neglecting the need to undergo regular therapeutic exercises often results in severe conditions like spasticity, which refers to the tightness of the muscle around the affected area. It may also progress to severe complications like stiff, tight, and even painful contractions.
In extreme cases, this spasticity can cause the hand to tighten into a fist, thereby limiting how you use your hands to perform different functions. To prevent all these from occurring, you need to buy robotic gloves for hand paralysis.
These robotic gloves help to eliminate your chances of experiencing complications after surviving a stroke. This is why stroke patients should actively understand how these hand gloves can help them in recovering their hand function after a stroke. This involves a process known as neuroplasticity.
What Is Neuroplasticity?
This is the process where the damaged area of the brain attempts to rewire itself after it has been hindered from sending signals to the hand through a stroke. At this recovery stage, the brain is looking for ways to strengthen and create new neural pathways for itself.
Neuroplasticity is activated through consistent and repetitive practice. So as your brain repeats this task on a consistent and repetitive basis using robotic gloves for stroke patients, it also receives this stimulation and responds by strengthening the neural pathways that are responsible for performing that task.
Types of robotic gloves for stroke patients
There is no doubt that hand exercises are difficult, especially after your hands have been paralyzed, severely weakened, tightened with spasticity, or swollen. However, with the help of these robotic gloves for hand paralysis, it can be treated.
Because these are the practical tools patients need to restore hand mobility, doctors often recommend the best gloves that depend on your need, recovery, and level of ability. Below are a few gloves available for stroke patients.
#1. Static Hand Braces
These gloves can only be worn at specific times in the day but cannot help you regain the use of the hand affected. What it does is to open your fingers and palm in a stretched position. It also helps to or don\'t contractions by preventing the fingers from curling into a fist.
#2. Edema Gloves
When a person is affected by stroke, it often limits movement and may result in the arms and hands swelling. Edema gloves are tight-fitting gloves that go beyond the hands to reduce and eliminate swelling. They can also be used to redirect excess fluids and allow free movement in hand.
#3. Assistive Gloves
Assistive robotic gloves use technology to direct the movement of your fingers. They promote hand movements and encourage you to carry out your daily activities easily. However, simply using this glove will not cause the brain to activate neuroplasticity the way regular hand therapy exercises will.
Conclusion
To help you identify the most suitable robotic glove for your condition, you will need to consult your doctor.