Stroke survivors can benefit from training their healthy arm
A new study says that stroke survivors who practice with their less-affected arm can see real improvements in daily life—even years after their stroke.
Researchers from Penn State and the University of Southern California conducted a phase II randomized clinical trial with 53 participants who had serious trouble using one arm, and the results were pretty encouraging.
Participants trained their better arm 3 times a week
Participants trained their "better" arm three times per week for five weeks to be quicker and improve dexterity with simple tasks.
After this focused practice, they got faster on dexterity tests.
Gains were seen in the real world
The gains weren't just on paper: participants completed a standard dexterity test about 12% faster (nearly six seconds) after training, and the improvement persisted for at least six months.
As lead author Candice Maenza put it, "When we train the less-impaired arm, the individuals got better."
This approach could mean more freedom for stroke survivors and less stress for caregivers—something worth exploring further.