The volume and timing of upper limb movement in acute stroke rehabilitation: still room for improvement.

CONCLUSIONS: Recognition of the need to improve upper limb outcomes after stroke has not yet translated into changes in the amount of upper limb activity undertaken during sub-acute rehabilitation. Opportunities to rehabilitate the hemiplegic upper limb are not fully realized. The dominance of bilateral movement in the early stages after stroke may provide scope for interventions that maximize this aspect of motor control. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Despite advances in rehabilitation, time spent in upper limb activity following stroke is very low, particularly in the affected arm. Most movement of the affected arm occurs in conjunction with the unaffected arm. There is an urgent need to redress this low level of movement, given the importance of upper limb recovery to quality of life for people following stroke. PMID: 30951402 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Disability and Rehabilitation - Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Tags: Disabil Rehabil Source Type: research