Stroke rehab goes high tech

Brighton Health Campus is fast becoming a national centre for stroke recovery with the addition of new rehabilitation technology.

A mechanical splint is already in use with outpatients and the site will soon purchase a robotic therapy unit for patients with no or little arm movement. Around 80 per cent of stroke patients who come to the Brighton unit have trouble moving their arm, but currently only about 15% will regain full use.

The Saebo mechanical splints offer outpatients a tool to continue therapy at home. The splint is customised for each patient and is suitable for people who have suffered a stroke or another neurological condition. It uses dynamic and static splinting systems to allow stroke or serious brain injury patients retrain their muscles and brain to regain lost function.

Brighton rehabilitation unit recently received a grant from the Queensland Government to buy an InMotion robot assisted therapy machine. The robot arm will help retrain both the muscles and the brain to move a stroke affected arm, even with no functionality.

The robot, which is due to arrive before Christmas, offers a rehabilitation pathway for a group of patients who until now have had few options. Clinical Lead Physiotherapist at Brighton Health Campus Paul Bew said the rehab unit acquired the new technology for use in occupational therapy and physiotherapy sessions to help patients recover sooner.

“Being able to provide our patients with this technology will have a huge impact on their rehabilitation,” Paul said. “We’ve already seen some great results and we have patients practicing for up to 90 minutes on the splint as part of their daily rehab program.”

“And soon, the robot will be able to help people with no movement through to people with lots of movement. It takes over as needed.”

The InMotion machine includes brain training games to rebuild functional movements such as wiping and reaching and can be increased to high intensity as people recover. Brighton rehabilitation unit sees about 590-600 inpatients each year, around a third of whom have experienced stroke. Patients vary from relatively simple cases to frail high complexity cases. Recognise the signs of stroke

The National Stroke Foundation recommends the F.A.S.T. test as an easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke.

Using the F.A.S.T. test involves asking these simple questions:

Face Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?

Arms Can they lift both arms?

Speech Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?

Time Is critical. If you see any of these signs call 000 straight away.