All-in-One Rehab Equipment for Stroke Patients
The AUX Dynamic Movement System, better known as the AUX, is a comprehensive body weight support system that provides endless opportunities for stroke survivors to relearn movements, practice exercises, and regain strength.
With the AUX, you get a fall-proof system that can be easily adapted to allow for a variety of safe, supported exercises. Unlike other stroke equipment, the AUX allows for 360 degrees of dynamic motion while still reducing both upper and lower body weight.
Why Use the AUX for Stroke Rehab?
The Importance of Stroke Rehabilitation
Stroke rehabilitation is necessary for survivors to regain their range of motion and strength they lost due to brain damage. Often, strokes can result in various physical and mental impairments, including partial or total paralysis, loss of balance, and the inability to walk or stand. These abilities can only be regained through rehabilitation efforts.
Some hospitals provide rehabilitation services before the patient is discharged. These services consist of passive exercises, in which the physical therapist is moving the muscle or body part for the patient. This can help encourage neuroplasticity in the brain, especially in the first day or two after the stroke, which is key in unlocking the brain’s ability to heal itself. However, it’s important for passive exercises to continue until the patient can participate in active exercises, in which they are moving their own muscles. Without the availability and accessibility of a device like the AUX, it can be difficult for stroke survivors to practice their active exercises safely.
Brunnstrom Stages of Stroke Recovery
Many physical therapists rely on the Brunnstrom stages of stroke recovery to give their patients a guide for how their rehabilitation may progress. Brunnstrom identifies seven distinct stages:
1. Flaccidity
In the first stage, the muscles affected by the stroke are paralyzed. The patient is unable to move their muscles on their own. Physical therapists must rely on passive exercises to help encourage movement and healing and prevent muscle atrophy. If a person suffers from a mild stroke, they may not experience this stage.
2. Appearance of spasticity
During the next stage, the patient’s muscles are starting to move involuntarily. Some voluntary movement may be possible. It is often difficult for the stroke survivor to relax their muscles, which may lead to tension and soreness. Passive exercises are highly recommended at this stage, and some survivors may even be able to engage in some form of assisted active exercises, in which they may be able to move some but not all of a body part, such as their leg.
3. Increase of spasticity
As spasticity increases, the brain is sending more signals to muscles, but tightness and tension are also increasing. Continuing with passive and assisted active exercises is important to get to the next stage.
4. Decrease in spasticity
Involuntary muscle spasms and tension begin to decrease at this stage, allowing for more active exercises. This is the stage in which the AUX can begin to be of great use as stroke survivors practice standing, balancing, and even walking.
5. Continued decrease in spasticity
As your coordination improves, the focus moves to improve your strength. The basic frame and simple setup of the AUX makes it easy to adapt the device to allow you to increase resistance for your strength-training exercises.
6. Disappearance of spasticity
At this stage, muscle tightness and tension have all but disappeared, and coordination continues to improve. The AUX can be modified to keep up with your progress.
7. Return of normal functions
Finally, your rehabilitation efforts have paid off, and your ability to function has returned to baseline. This is the ultimate goal, and with the AUX, our hope is that you can reach this step faster and more safely.
Stroke Rehabilitation Exercises on the AUX
Many active exercises for stroke survivors are possible by using the AUX, including:
- Gait training
- Resistance training
- Range-of-motion therapy
- Weight-bearing exercises
- Balance training
- Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT)
Important Features of Stroke Equipment
When considering buying equipment from your stroke rehabilitation center or physical therapy clinic, you should look for devices that have the following important features: