Myomo Live Better Blog

The National Stroke Association’s Stroke Prevention Advisory Board established the first set of guidelines for stroke prevention in 1999. These guidelines are updated on a continual basis, so whether you are someone who has already had a stroke or are someone who is just looking for information about preventing a first stroke, these guidelines can help reduce your personal risk. Always remember to discuss these issues with your physician and get regular check-ups.

Written by: Peter G. Levine, Researcher, Author, Clinical Instructor

 “Why do I have spasticity? What can I do to get rid of spasticity? When will it go away?”

Adaptive Devices After a Stroke

Written by: Cindy Lee, OTR/L, Clinical Support Specialist

Surviving a traumatic injury like a stroke with residual arm weakness is life-changing and life-altering.  Trying to perform activities of daily living or hobbies you once enjoyed doing before will be a struggle and a challenge. Therapy can either help you restore your arm movement to its fullest potential using eclectic therapeutic techniques and cutting edge technology such as the Myomo mPower and PERL techniques or it can help you to compensate for the deficit using low technological adaptive devices to regain independence. Some examples of low technological adaptive devices that are typically suggested for activities of daily living are listed below. Many of these devices can be found on sites like www.ncmedical.com your therapist should be able to provide additional information from where to purchase these devices. 

Shoulder supports and Myomo

Written by: Stefanie Conaway, MS, OTR/L, Myomo Clincial Specialist

Many people are concerned that they are not an appropriate candidate for Myomo, because they have a shoulder subluxation (or separation of the shoulder joint, resulting in strain and often pain in the shoulder muscles).  This is not the case, and in fact we have seen shoulder subluxations, and shoulder pain begin to resolve with consistent use of Myomo over time. There are several options available for people who have a subluxation and who would like extra shoulder support while they are completing their Myomo exercises.

During recovery from an illness or injury, many aspects of our lives are altered.  One of these aspects is the ability to engage in regular exercise.  Following a life-changing illness or injury with long-term side effects, many people struggle through physical and occupational therapy.  For most, the rehabilitation process is long and difficult.  However, it is important to know that it is still possible for you to engage in a regular exercise program that you enjoy.  For most individuals, it is easier to first get through the initial phases of PT and OT, and then start to think about a separate exercise routine.  However, it is possible, and most times beneficial, to find an activity you enjoy even in the early phases of your recovery.  There are vast and numerous benefits of physical activity on your health.  If you have already had a stroke, you are already at higher risk of having another.  Exercise can help you lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve your posture, balance and circulation.  Regular exercise can also help improve your mood. 

Myomo Neuro-Robotic Arm Brace a Powerful Rehab Tool

By Ben Apel | Published: January 9, 2012

 Find a prevalent problem and solve it – any MBA worth their tuition will enthusiastically volunteer this as the surest way to start a successful company.

Left Neglected is a story about a busy professional who is juggling family life and her professional life. She is Harvard trained and lives in an affluent suburb outside of Boston. An unfortunate car accident on a commute to work results in a brain injury that leaves this woman with the inability to identify or use the left side of her body effectively.  The book follows her for over a year after her injury and describes how she addresses the new life challenge before her.

Trying to perform volitional relaxation exercises may be difficult. Even when using the Myomo device, you have to give yourself plenty of time and practice to relax your mind and muscle. Below are some relaxation techniques that may be helpful to relax while still actively engaging in the exercise.

Book Review: 
“My Year Off: Recovering Life After a Stroke”
by Robert McCrum

As an author and editor of one of England’s newspapers, Robert McCrum describes his experience with stroke and subsequent rehabilitation in stylized and literary terms. In 1995, at the age of 42, Robert McCrum had a cerebral hemorrhage resulting in left sided paralysis. His account of the stroke itself, as well as his experience in hospital and rehabilitation gives the reader valuable insight into what stroke survivors think and feel and how they come to terms with their changed bodies and their place in the world.

The main goal of using the Myomo device is to help you re-learn how to use your arm to perform everyday tasks.  Part of this process is using the right muscles to control the device, so that your nervous system will associate using that muscle with successful motion.