more effective arm exercises

I’d like to share with you some valuable and effective ARM exercises I found from Flint Rehab for post-stroke persons working on regaining their mobility and strength. (“15 Effective Arm Exercises for Stroke Patients to Regain Mobility,” dated September 21, 2018)  I am now using many in my daily rehab routine and have found them very helpful.  You should read the article for more details, but I want to share with you as much as I can. 

As I have mentioned before, in order for you to recover well from stroke, you must RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN!!  As Flint asserts, you need to “stimulate your brain with passive exercise.” Passive exercise will even help you recover from paralysis. Although you aren’t “doing it yourself,” passive exercise wakes up your arm/hand and gets the neuroplasticity working - this will help your affected arm/hand to slowly regain use.

I will start with 3 of the 15 they highlight in that article. And in later posts I will include some of the other exercises as I incorporate them into my own personal routine.
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DIRECTIONS

Inner Arm Stretch - Intertwine the fingers of your unaffected hand/arm overtop your affected hand’s fingers, with your entire affected arm stretched forward and your affected hand palm-side up. And then hold for at least 20 seconds and release. Pull your arm back towards you. Repeat. Continue this stretch for as many times as you can, and for as long as you can. The idea is to STRETCH YOUR INNER ARM each time.

​Wrist Stretch - This is very similar to my Wrist Bending exercise I shared January 29, 2019.  While keeping your fingers intertwined, gently bend your affected wrist backward. Hold for 20 seconds and release. Bend your wrist bachward again, hold and release. Continue this movement as many times as you can, for as long as you can. The idea here is to STRETCH YOUR WRIST each time.
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Cane Reach - Hold both ends of a cane - one end with your unaffected hand and the other with your affected hand. Then gently lift your affected arm/hand up. Feel the stretch and hold for a "few" seconds (count to at least 10) before gently releasing (allowing to lower down). Continue this movement as mant times as you can, for as long as you can.  The idea here is to STRETCH YOUR REACH FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN each time.

Again, these are considered PASSIVE. Later I will share with you some of Flint Rehab’s other exercises - Easy Arm Exercises for stroke patients and then Moderate Arm Exercises for stroke patients.

God Bless, Peg

"The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed." -- Eminem
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