Arm Exercises After Stroke Improve Function

Early and repetitive stimulation of the affected arm after a stroke can dramatically improve function that persists for many years, new research indicates.

Early and repetitive stimulation of the affected arm after a stroke can dramatically improve function that persists for many years, new research indicates. “Although studies have investigated targeted interventions with one-year of follow-up, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first to evaluate such interventions on such a long-term basis,” lead author Dr. Hilde Feys, from the University of Leuven in Belgium, said in a statement. The findings, which are reported in the medical journal Stroke, are based on a study of 100 patients who participated in the exercise program or received a sham therapy within two to five weeks of stroke onset. Sixty-two patients were available for functional evaluation five years later. With the exercise program, patients were placed in a rocking chair for 30 minutes each day and asked to use the affected arm to generate motion. Patients in the comparison group were also placed in a rocking chair, but instead of being instructed to use the arm, they received fake therapy to the shoulder. Both rehab programs lasted 6 weeks. At five-year follow-up, patients in the exercise group performed significantly better than the others on two standardized tests of arm function, the researchers note. In contrast, the groups scored similarly on the Barthel index, a more general assessment of stroke recovery. Patients with severe movement problems seemed to benefit most from the exercise program, the investigators point out. “We believe this therapy is causing a rewiring of the brain…during the acute phase of stroke recovery, a time in which currently there aren’t many treatment alternatives for the arm available,” Feys noted. “We need to develop strategies whereby patients can take responsibility for their own therapy and this appears to be a promising one.” (SOURCE: Stroke, Reuters Health, March 2004. )