Rehabilitation after stroke is a relatively long process. Improving the ability to move around in daily life is the main rehabilitation goal. After stroke patients are discharged from hospital and go home, most of them still have a strong desire for rehabilitation treatment, but they face many challenges. The main obstacle to recovery is paralysis of one limb, commonly known as hemiplegia. Among them, upper limb and hand function rehabilitation is the most difficult. Patients can use appropriate tools for occupational therapy treatment during home rehabilitation.

Occupational therapy is a treatment method that guides patients to participate in selective and functional activities to promote a healthy life. The purpose is to reduce disability, maintain health, and enhance the patient's ability to participate in society, adapt to the environment, and create life.

Most activities of daily living involve complex upper limb functions. Stroke patients often present with difficulty in extending and flexing the upper limbs and difficulty grasping the fingers. Occupational therapy of the upper limbs mainly induces active muscle activity, prevents joint contracture, and improves the hand's ability to control objects. As long as stroke patients can actively try self-active training, the range of limb activities will be expanded, limb functions will be maximized, and they can demonstrate their abilities as much as possible.

Roller training

Purpose: To induce separation movement of the affected shoulder joint and inhibit synchronic movement of the shoulder joint.

Operation: The trainer and the patient sit face to face. The patient makes fists with both hands and pushes the roller or straw ball in different directions.

Push ball training

Purpose: To increase the trunk balance ability of the affected side in a sitting position, and promote elbow joint extension and wrist joint dorsiflexion of the affected upper limb.

Operation: The patient takes a sitting position, places an empty plastic bottle or other objects on the table, pushes the ball with the back of the affected hand, and knocks down the bottle in front of him.

Hand grasping and relaxing training

Purpose: To train the grasping and relaxing of hands.

Operation: The patient sits, fingers are placed on the table, and the cup set is taken in the vertical or horizontal position.

Finger-to-finger holding and other training

Purpose: To train the finger-to-finger holding function.

Operation: The patient sits and completes fine operation training such as inserting wooden sticks, picking up glass balls, flipping cards, and twisting buttons.

Myoelectric biofeedback treatment combined with occupational therapy

Purpose: to increase the patient's muscle strength of the affected limb and induce active movement of the elbow joint, wrist joint and fingers

Operation:

1. The patient sits and tries to straighten the forearm, so that the palm of his hand touches and pushes the ball electromyogram to stimulate the triceps brachii muscle belly.

2. Sit on the affected side and use the power of dorsal extension of the wrist joint to push open the small bottle or use a toy electromyographic biofeedback to electrically stimulate the dorsal wrist extensor muscles.

Occupational therapy for daily self-care

According to the condition of the patient’s affected limb, the affected upper limb alone or the affected upper limb assists the unaffected upper limb in occupational activity training. The content mainly includes: trying to complete as many activities of daily living as possible, such as patients eating independently, dressing, personal cleaning (brushing teeth, facial grooming, etc.), washing clothes, putting on and taking off pants when going to the toilet, and taking a shower.

Interest and entertainment treatment

Purpose: Choose corresponding treatment methods according to patients’ different interests and hobbies. While improving the patient's finger function, it also enhances the fun of training.

Operation: The patient sits and completes the corresponding interesting training.

Occupational therapy is an important method for the rehabilitation of upper limb coordination and fine hand movements in stroke patients. Patients and their families must have a pair of eyes that are good at discovery and explore any environment and tools in the home that can carry out occupational therapy activities. , in order to achieve a certain amount of training and activity and promote functional recovery.

——Reprinted from "Good Words and Good Letters"