How Stroke Patients Can Eat Again With Knife And Fork

Outpatient Therapy: How Stroke Patients Can Train Their Affected Arm
Every year more than a quarter of a million of all Germans suffer a stroke. Patients often struggle with the consequences for a lifetime. The functional efficiency of a stroke-paralyzed arm can be improved with new outpatient therapy.

Stroke is often associated with lifelong consequences
Every year around 270,000 people in Germany suffer a stroke. According to the German Stroke Society (DSG), stroke is the third leading cause of death in Germany and the most common cause of disability in adults. The survivors often have to contend with the consequences for life. In recent years, several new therapies for stroke patients have been presented which, among other things, can improve speech after a stroke. Stroke patients are especially often affected by unilateral paralysis of the arm. A research group has now reported on the development of a special therapy, the lost functions can be restored.

After a stroke patients often have life-long struggles with the consequences such as paralysis. A new therapy can improve the functioning of a paralyzed arm again. (Picture: Picture-Factory / fotolia.com)

Outpatient therapy for patients evolved
As reported by the "Informationsdienst Wissenschaft" (idw), a research group led by Dr. med. Anne Barzel developed the therapy concept "Constraint-induced movement therapy" (CIMT), also called "Taub'sches Training" or "Forced-use Therapy", in order to be able to offer it to stroke patients in outpatient therapy as well. According to the information, CIMT helps patients to overcome the disuse of the affected arm, which often occurs after a stroke. In ambulatory care, a comparable therapy concept was missing so far. The research group around Dr. Anne Barzel, who works at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, has now changed this.

Eat again with knife and fork
It is said that "home CIMT" specially trained ergo or physiotherapists determine together with the patient before the start of therapy goals relevant to everyday life: for example eating with a knife and fork, drinking from a cup with one hand on the handle, or the like. The experts accompany the home exercise program in weekly home visits and check with the patient whether the goals have been achieved. The actual training the patients in their home environment complete together with a so-called non-professional exercise companion such as relatives daily two hours on a total of 20 days.

Serviceability limited by special gloves
Patients wear a special glove on the healthy arm during their daily workouts plus four to six hours a day, which limits their ability to use. As a result, patients are more likely to use the stroke-affected arm in everyday life, and can only support it with the healthy arm. According to the information, the therapy is suitable for stroke patients whose paralyzed arm is at least partially functional again, and whose stroke was at least six months earlier.

Therapy checked for effectiveness
The therapy, whose development was promoted by, among others, the German Stroke Assistance Foundation, was tested in a study to determine its effectiveness. All patients received effective therapy for four weeks, either home CIMT or usual physiotherapy or occupational therapy. The study showed an improvement in the use of arms in both therapy groups. However, patients in the home CIMT group rated their everyday use significantly better than patients in the control group. Results of the study were published in the journal "Lancet Neurol". (Ad)