I'm Aoi Hashima , an occupational therapist working in Saga Sumai and Fukuoka.
In the past few days, I will tell you about the recovery of the fingers after a stroke.
"Rehabilitation of a paralyzed hand when the fingers begin to move"
I'm Aoi Hashima , an occupational therapist who works in Saga Sumai and Fukuoka . While recovering from paralysis of both hands, I used my strength in my arms…
"The way you use your fingers varies depending on what you're holding"
...
For paralyzed hands:
① I can barely move my fingers, shoulders and elbows
② The fingers move slightly, and the shoulders and elbows hardly move.
③ The fingers hardly move, but the shoulders and elbows move a little.
④ Slight movement of fingers, shoulders and elbows
⑤ The activities of the hands, shoulders and elbows are sufficient to be used in daily life
and many more.
Of course, sensory deficits and muscle stiffness can also affect motor status.
Paralyzed hands vary from person to person, so I believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the recovery of a paralyzed hand after a stroke.
Even similar rehab content can be difficult or easy.
We often ask you to do something a little difficult (about 60% to 70% you can do on your own) in terms of home self-study, etc., and aim for change.
Of course, what you can do yourself will improve durability, etc., which will have a positive impact on the frequency of using the paralyzed hand, so we will continue to work hard.
"Difficulty adjustment" is necessary in order to do a somewhat difficult volunteer training by yourself. 
For example, let's say you're considering a voluntary exercise with clothespins, as shown in the image above.
In the case of self-training with clothespins, you can create the following modes to adjust the difficulty.
*easy→difficult*
① Soft clothespin → Hard clothespin
② low position → high position
③ Large clothespin → small clothespin (size varies from person to person)
By adjusting the difficulty level in stages, "from less force to more force", "from the method of not using the wrist to the method of using the wrist", "from the easy method to the difficult method" and more paralyzing aerial maneuvers". The opportunity to gain the ability to increase the freedom of the hand was born. 
The difficulty of lifting things also varies from person to person.
As you can see in the photo above, some people like to hold it from the side, while others like to hold it from above.
Some people find it easier to move their fingers if they rest their entire elbow and fingers on a table, while others find it easier to move their fingers if they hang their wrists from directly above.
The parts of the body that can be moved and the poses that are easy to move vary from person to person.
I think it would be nice if we could adjust the difficulty level to 60% to 70% with an exercise method that works for everyone. 
When adjusting the difficulty level, also consider the number of tools you are dealing with.
Some people like to move one by one and take a break, while others like to move about 10 and take a break.
If you need to use all your strength and abilities while moving one by one, you may feel fatigued or sore, even if you move 10 in a row. This is also important.
Adjusting the difficulty level during volunteer training is not easy.
If you are unsure about adjusting the difficulty level, please consult the staff responsible for rehabilitation.
You can also consult us on this blog.
I think it would be great to be able to self-train at a level of difficulty that suits everyone.
☆*:.｡.Thank you for reading till the end.｡.:*☆
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This article was reprinted on October 11 , 2022 on Aoi Hashima's blog " Stroke Rehabilitation Longevity Consultation Center " .