14241 SW 120 ST Suite #107
Miami, FL 33186
Miami, FL 33186
Timely and effective stroke rehabilitation is crucial for survivors because it can make or break one’s recovery process. Thankfully, patients today have several options like seeking activity-based therapy in Miami and doing simple hand exercises which involve everyday items like pens. Are you familiar with these stroke rehabilitation techniques? If not, we will help you get acquainted with them through our brief discussion below.
Studies note that hand clenching is relatively common after a stroke. It’s a sign of muscle spasticity and the severed or interrupted communication lines between the brain and the muscles. So, starting your hand rehabilitation plan with finger curling and uncurling exercises is good practice.
To do this, we suggest trying to curl your fingers around a ballpoint pen, then slowly uncurl them. You may do this several times a day until your fingers become more familiar with the movements.
Once you start seeing improvements in your finger movements, you may begin adding fist clenching into your activity-based therapy in Miami. Begin this exercise by opening your palm and stretching your fingers as far as possible. Then, work your way into closing your fist until you tuck all your fingers in.
This will help you decrease swelling and promote healthy blood flow. It will also help jumpstart your nerve signal transmission, increasing your chances of regaining regular hand motions. Once you find it easy to do this exercise, you can add in objects like a stress ball each time you clench your fist.
Individualized finger movements can help improve your hand coordination after a stroke. So, we suggest touching the tip of your thumb with every finger. Start slow and gentle, and take your time to flex each finger. If you struggle to get your fingers touching each other, you may want to try visualizing the movements. On the one hand, if you can do this exercise with great ease, we suggest speeding this up.
Another exercise you can try to stimulate the nerves in your hands and fingers is rolling a small ball on a flat tabletop. Depending on the level of your hand disability, you can either hold on to the ball or rest your hand on it while you roll it in various directions.
Besides muscle spasticity, several stroke survivors notice difficulty grasping, gripping, or holding items like a cup of coffee (or tea), a glass of water, or a metal door knob. Hence, you might also find it helpful to make the letter C shape with one of your hands and fingers. Now, you can start doing this exercise without actually gripping or grasping an object. Instead, you can visualize holding an item while you complete the routine.
Rotating a small pen or marker by 180 degrees can help you improve your hand muscle and finger flexibility. So we strongly recommend adding this to your weekly routine. You can use as many fingers to pinch or pick up your chosen item. And you may experiment with various objects depending on what’s available.
You can think of wrist curls as bicep curls. To perform this exercise, you need a water bottle filled with the right amount of liquid. Place the bottle in the affected hand and support your movements with your normal hand. Then, allow your wrists to stretch and curl. You can try repeating this routine as many times as possible each week.
You may also replace the water bottle’s size or increase the fluid’s volume to add more resistance to your routine. Just be sure to pace yourself and avoid pushing your wrists to the limit.
Picking up small things like beads and toothpicks is a bit advanced. So they work best for patients who have already recovered significant hand coordination. You can play around with the items and adjust the size according to your progress and preference.
The hands are among the most severely affected body parts after a stroke. Hence, it might help to seek activity-based therapy in Miami or follow the list of hand exercises we listed above to help jumpstart your body’s recovery and healing process. The sooner you take advantage of these movements, the better your chances of seeing noticeable changes.
Essentially, by seeking help from a trusted source of activity-based therapy in Miami, such as iAM ABLE, you can tailor-fit your exercises, plan other physical activities, and receive proper guidance from a fitness trainer and therapist. Additionally, our professionals can help you navigate the daily challenges of living with disabilities that result from stroke by providing helpful tips and tricks.
Each case of stroke recovery and rehabilitation varies. Hence, it is virtually impossible to estimate how long it would take to heal the body and rewire the nervous system. Your best option is to consult with a therapist, stroke rehabilitation professionals, neurologists, and other healthcare professionals.
For more information on how iAM ABLE helps patients who survived a stroke and how we address the impacts of paralysis, kindly visit our activity-based center at 14241 SW 120 St. Suite #107 Miami, FL 33186. You may also grab a FREE copy of our handbook on how to live with paralysis.
Grab our free e-book 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to THRIVE after Paralysis by clicking the image below.
