Hand function is vital for everyday activities from eating to writing. Yet, many individuals, especially those with impairments from conditions like stroke, face challenges in performing these tasks. Medical professionals often prescribe therapeutic exercises for patients to practice at home. However, sustaining motivation for these exercises is a significant struggle. Most patients are reported to commit only 15 minutes daily to these exercises, despite the general recommendation of 30 minutes per day.
Our innovative approach moves away from the traditional reliance on intrinsic motivation, as we integrate exercises seamlessly into activities of daily living (ADL). By incorporating rehabilitation exercises, like training grasping movements and force, into common ADLs (i.e., brushing teeth, drinking from a cup, etc), patients will engage with hand therapy without allocating time for it, or being aware that they are training their hands. Instead, task-specific exercises can seamlessly become part of their regular daily routines and training time will simply increase throughout the day. We envision that the Freehabilitation toolkit can be expanded with multiple daily objects, each triggering different exercises. Clinicians can tailor the toolkit to match to the individual needs.
Contact person:
Dr. Juliet Haarman
j.a.m.haarman@utwente.nl
+31 (0)53 489 6084