Essay On Robotics-Assisted Therapy

In addition to providing hands-on patient care, robots can also help lift patients. Some Japanese inventors created the "Robot for Interactive Body Assistance". This robot is used to transport patients weighing up to 134 lbs. to bedsides and wheelchairs using built-in sensors and foam support technology (Dean, 2009). In America researchers have tested robot called a "Nursebot" on elderly patients, this was not very effective. The problems with the "Nursebot" was it’s ability to perform task such as giving patients bath or help change the patients. The "Nursebot" was however able to remind patients when to take medications or help them to move around as to not strain the elderly person.

The lack of technology in the past has left multiple stroke patients struggling with physical and mental impairments. However, due to the constant change and improvements made to technology, patients are now getting more help with their physical and mental needs. Nowadays, the odds of a patient gaining full function and ability back after a traumatic brain injury are much more favorable than not. Advanced technology such as robotic gloves, interactive video games, and electrical stimulators are effective tools in the treatment of strokes because they stimulate the brain to help regain ability and motor functions.

The information in this literature review was collected from an expert interview and the search databases Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The expert for the expert interview was selected based on experience with designing prosthetics for individuals that had lost their hand and potentially part of their arm (Birdwell, 2016). The databases were searched using keywords “spinal cord injury”, “hand movement”, and “fine motor movement”. In PubMed the selection was also narrowed down by selecting only studies done on humans. New terminology was searched through science direct due to the built in function that allows for key words from the article to be selected for further information from multiple books or journals.

From peg legs and hooks to robotic arms and legs, prosthetics have made an outstanding leap. Prosthetics have enabled amputees to regain mobility and their lives. The advancements in prosthetics have also led to a better understanding in surgical amputation and the construction of prosthetics. The question is what influenced the advancements of prosthetics and how it affected prosthetics. The answer lies within the history and the physiological components of prosthetics. Mobility and function, physiological components, and war all played an important role in the advancements of prosthetics.

We are grateful for the “Manual Therapy” reviewers thoughtful review and suggestions to improve our manuscript. Our author team has reviewed, considered, and responded to all comments and suggestions the reviewers proposed in accordance with “Manual Therapy” guidelines. Thus, we are submitting a revised manuscript “The Immediate Cardiovascular Response to Joint Mobilization of the Neck- A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Pain-Free Adults” for follow-up consideration for publication in “Manual Therapy”. We are hopeful that our work will be deemed as valuable and disseminated for other manual therapists to consider.

Like the first article above, the purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of mental practice use on upper-extremity impairment and functional outcomes on stroke patients, but also to see if mental practice plus physical practice would yield better results. This study took place in a licensed university-affiliated rehabilitation hospital. The design of this experiment was a case study, which consisted of only four total participants. Participants were chosen randomly; three men and one woman with moderate upper-limb hemiparesis post-stroke. Two subjects received mental practice and constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), one subject received only mental practice, and one received only CIMT. The main outcomes measures were the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL). The WMFT is a validated test that measures time (15 tasks) or strength (2 tasks) in completing upper-extremity joint specific or multiple joint movements or functions. The MAL is an upper-extremity disability measure. It is a semi-structured interview during which participants are asked to rate how much and how well (6-point scale; range, 0 worst to 5 best) they use their more affected arm for 30 ADL items in the home environment over a specified period. The participant who received only mental practice showed slight

Five participants with acute stroke and unilateral hemiparesis (Age 51 ± 17 years; Height 1.7 ± 0.1m; Weight 81.6 ± 3.6kg; LOS 36 ± 24.6 days; 3 males, 2 females; 2 with right hemiplegia) were recruited for RE gait training during inpatient rehabilitation in conjunction with traditional therapy. Participant inclusion requirements: have a medical clearance, upright standing tolerance (≥30 min), intact skin, physically fit into the device, have joint range of motion within normal functional limits for ambulation, have had stroke with its onset >1 week and 0.05). This may suggest that the RE was limited to rehabilitate muscles during the IDS and swing phases as seen in figures (6-8).

In Canada, hundreds of horses are fatally injured and afterword’s euthanized, due to musculoskeletal or neurological injuries in their limbs every year. In order to give these horses the chance to possibly recover fully, Dr. Julia Montgomery, a large animal specialist at the University of Saskatchewan, developed a robotic lift system with the help of her team. The goal of this system is to help these horses recover by taking the weight off the injured limb by supporting the horse in a sling.

Physical therapists working at these large hospitals throughout the Midwest where recruitment will occur will be formally trained how on how to perform MT so that therapists will be consistent within and between patients. Both groups will receive 1 hour of MT of the upper extremity 5 days a week for 4 weeks. In addition to this treatment, the physical therapist will also work with patients in both groups on limb activation for 1 hour 5 days a week for 4 weeks and provide the more traditional physical therapy given to stroke patients, such as doing exercises to improve strength in the upper and lower extremity on the affected side involving neuromuscular re-education, pre-walking functional activities, weight shifts in sitting or standing, or the maintenance of unassisted

With advancements in technology, amputees will be able to have legs that are equal to their non-amputee competitors. New materials such as thermal plastics and composites are being used in order to make the prosthetics lighter and stronger. Microprocessors are an integral part of the future of lower limb prosthesis. Joe McTernan, a member of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association, explained, “With microprocessor technology, electrodes are placed over the socket of the limb and the patient is trained that when they flex certain muscles, it sends a signal to the motor to do a specific motion” (Alvarez 1). This allows the amputee to have more control over their limbs when sprinting. There are other ideas for advancement that have not been tested yet. Permanent prosthetic limbs would be ideal because the athlete would not have to worry about their legs detaching during a race. They also would not have to waste their time and money on multiple prosthetic legs. A stronger, durable, and permanent prosthetic leg would be a life-changing invention. New designs are being created in an effort to find the best prosthetic leg. The ‘c-shaped’ and ‘j-shaped’ legs seem to be the most successful, but future advancement may determine that a replica of the human foot works better. Scientists continue to work tirelessly in an effort to create equal opportunities for athletic amputees to be

In the initial stage of stroke, the patient still had antigravity muscle power of the left upper and lower limbs. Therefore, the decision for early supported discharge once patient was able to self-propel the wheelchair with both his hands and was mildly dependent for activities of daily living (ADLs) was deemed justifiable. Early supported discharge has been shown to improve overall cost by reducing the length of inpatient hospitalization, reducing risk of death or institutionalization as well as improving instrumental activities of daily of living (iADL)(2). However, once the stroke evolved leading to dense flaccidity of the left upper limb, his latest condition should be communicated back to the

My research addresses rehabilitation post-stroke, primarily improving lower extremity function. I study factors contributing to compensation, which involves greater than normal use of the non-impaired limb compared to the impaired limb. Compensation can be detrimental to rehabilitation as the impaired limb is underutilized and function cannot be restored. This may lead to weakness and impaired mobility/gait.

For some amputees, there may be a physical and emotional pain with the lost of a limb. Bionics may not look and feel like a biological limb, but it comes close in providing the functions and fills the blank space of a missing limb. Providing individuals with bionic prosthetic technology assists in the reduction of health care cost by enabling an individual to maintain an appropriate activity level. Bionic limbs “enables people to return to work and other important daily activities faster and easier than before” ( Hixenbaugh, 2010, p. 721). With the use of bionics an amputee can walk with a natural gait and reduce the occurrence of stress on other joints ( Hixenbaugh, 2010, p. 725). This alleviates the chance of chronic or acute pain. An amputee can achieve a close to normal or normal metabolic energy exertion and reduced the amount of energy exerted from the amputee ( Hixenbaugh, 2010, p. 725). This may give the wearer the ability to withstand longer minor physical activities, such as walking for longer periods of time. Individals that wear BioM walk at 23% faster than the speed of wearing a traditional prosthetic ( Hixenbaugh, 2010, p. 725). This gives an amputee to walk at a natural speed. Through the use of external input bionics use, amputees gain the ability to safely walk on different terrains and stairs. Overall bionic prosthetics improve quality of life for amputee veterans as well as other individuals with

People often relate the loss of arm mobility to stroke patients because it is so noticeable when a person cannot use one of their arms properly. Statistics show, “motor deficits are common following stroke. Approximately 43% to 69% of people suffering from a stroke have upper-extremity impairment, 1, 2 and 4 years after a stroke, 67% still experience non-use of the affected arm as a major problem” (Siebers et al., 389). In these cases, CIMT can be more beneficial than less invasive therapies. CIMT looks to force movement and use of the affected side of the body after a stroke in order to promote rehabilitation while limiting the unaffected limb. However, this type of therapy does not come easily as CIMT is a very rigorous therapy. In the article, Stroke patients ' and therapists ' opinions of constraint-induced movement therapy, it was stated this therapy is intense because the unaffected arm is restrained while the patient participates in about 6 hours

The subjects of the study were ten people who had recently had a stroke, two were women and eight were men. Additionally, these people had only one leg affected and were able to safely use all the testing equipment. Each person was first subject to four tests for a clinical assessment to better understand the subjects. These tests were the Modified Ashworth Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, manual muscle testing, and a test to determine the person’s range of motion.