How Robotic Therapy Accelerates Stroke Rehabilitation

In recent years, with the rapid development of robotic technology, artificial intelligence and electro-mechanical components, robotics are increasingly applied in the rehabilitation sector. Robotic rehabilitation therapy not only has a good market prospect (The global rehabilitation robots market size is projected to reach USD 2,617.3 million by 2026.), but it is also a promising novel technology for patients with motor disorders caused by stroke and other neurological diseases. So, how do rehabilitation robots help patients recover faster?

First of all, it is associated with the basic mechanism of improving motor function after stroke, neuroplasticity. It is a term that refers to the brain's ability to modify the physical structure and function throughout life and in response to experience and training. One important goal of rehabilitation of stroke patients is the effective use of neuroplasticity for functional recovery. Therefore, high-intensity practice and repetitive training are required to help the patient's brain to re-learn the ability to move, making stroke rehabilitation a labor-intensive process.

Figure 1: How neuroplasticity works

Source: Yongmin Chang, “Reorganization and plastic changes of the human brain associated with skill learning and expertise”

As a result, compared with the traditional therapy guided only by the therapist, the most important advantage of robotic therapy is the ability to deliver high-dosage and high-intensity training; and, it ensures that the movement is repeated accurately and in the same way each time. The accurate and highly repetitive movement performed by robots could make better use of neuroplasticity, speeding up patients' recovery.

The robotic devices not only enable repetitive therapy with high intensity but also provide diversified training using only one manipulation. As the manipulator is programmable and multi-function, the rehabilitation robot can provide different targeted training throughout the recovery process such as resistance training to improve muscle strength in the post-stroke rehabilitation stage and bilateral mirror training (the healthy hand drives the affected hand) to deeply stimulate patient's neuroplasticity.

Figure 2: Bilateral mirror training

Furthermore, robotic therapy provides patients with more motivated and active exercise than traditional therapy. By offering incentives to the patient such as games, robot-assisted therapy can greatly improve treatment compliance. Patients are more willing to increase rehabilitation training with robot-assisted therapy; naturally, the recovery speed will be faster than the conventional therapy.

Figure 3: Active game training

Now, with the ongoing improvement of robotic technology, rehabilitation robot has not only therapeutic significance, but it is also a good helper for therapists. Like Syrebo hand rehabilitation system SY-HR08E (click to learn more), it has the functions of strength and coordination evaluation and intelligent user management. The robots can collect data on the patients' strength and coordination performance, allowing therapists to track patients' progress. Therapists can also customize personalized rehabilitation programs for a large number of patients with this system, making treatment more flexible and convenient. Effective and smart, it is the best choice for clinicians to upgrade the healthcare system.

As robotic-assisted therapy provides more effective treatment to stroke patients with motor disorders and relieves the physical burden of therapists, it will become a standard therapeutic solution in stroke rehabilitation soon.