The Benefits Of Bimanual Movements In Stroke Rehab
With Dr. Nick Housley 15th Jul, 21Transcript
The Benefits Of Bimanual Movements In Stroke Rehab
Stroke is an emergency, and you have to start treatment as soon as possible. Likewise, if you start rehabilitation in the first 48 hours post-stroke, it significantly reduces damage. Further, the bimanual movements play a vital role post-stroke and fasten the stroke recovery.
What Are The Bimanual Movements?
In the bimanual movements, the upper limbs are mutually coupled to act as one unit. They are basically active and task-specific coordination between limbs to explore and relearn their functionality instead of working in an isolated manner. The bimanual movements are actually the combination of right and left-arm movements that influence the contralateral and ipsilateral movement to enhance neural activity.
For instance, when you are using Motus hand, both hands (one hand with a Motus hand and one without it) try to mirror. They go up and down and perform repetitive tasks practice simultaneously. It will really help fasten the stroke recovery and solidify the feedback.
Nonetheless, you need to assess the coordination between neural, muscular, and attentional functions before planning and implementing the bimanual coordination movements and training. It will state if the bimanual movements can be implemented to improve functionality in stroke rehab.
What Are The Advantages Of The Bimanual Movements In Stroke Rehab?
The bimanual movement training is getting attention for stroke rehab. The bimanual movement promotes the use of both limbs and hands simultaneously. It also facilitates and accelerates functional recovery. The bimanual training can be used to recover the control of paretic control. Further, the bimanual movements help in retaining motor functionality after a stroke.
Moreover, the bimanual movements promote movement in the preferred directions to reorganize the affected motor cortex. These movements do not alter the cortical spinal muscle connection. But they use interhemispheric inhibition to change the neural activity for reorganizing. As a result, the affected upper limb relearns motor functionality faster.
Further, the scientists still do not know the reason; why the bimanual movements are helpful in restoring function after a stroke. But they are effective for stroke survivors in stroke rehab.
How Do The Bimanual Movements Help In Stroke Rehab?
The Bimanual movements show significant improvements in the upper limb past stroke. They also assist in cortical neural plasticity and altering motor cortex functions. If you plan and implement the bimanual movements, it encourages the use of the nerve tract of the affected hemisphere by motor cortex inhibition.
Further, they stimulate descending premotor neuron commands towards propriospinal neurons. They also allow the use of ipsilateral tracts in the affected hemisphere to recover the damage. However, it remains unknown how you can use the bimanual movements in stroke rehabilitation or who can see improvements using them.
Conclusion
The bimanual movements are showing promising results in recovering upper limb functionality post-stroke. Further, they provide additional assistance in improving the ability to function after a stroke because most of the activities of daily living require the use of both hands.