Upper Limb Paralysis

Hand and Arm

The 2013 US Paralysis Prevalence & Health Disparities Survey revealed paralysis is more widespread than previously thought. Approximately 1.7% of the U.S. population, or 5.4 million people reported they were living with some form of paralysis. The leading cause of paralysis was stroke (33.7%), followed by spinal cord injury (27.3%) and multiple sclerosis (18.6%).

An estimated 2.5 million people currently live with moderate to severe mobility impairment of their arm and hand. Every year, an additional 795,000 people in the United States experience a stroke and 40% of these individuals will have persisting moderate to severe impairment. The severity of upper extremity hemiparesis is a significant determinant of poststroke disability and quality of life. Upper extremity hemiparesis can impair the performance of many daily activities such as dressing, bathing, self-care, and writing resulting in reduced functional independence.

Evidence about technologies for upper limb paralysis rehabilitation is a fast growing area of therapeutic research. As technology advances, innovative methods and devices like MyndMove™ will be used to guide new therapeutic approaches and augment existing ones in upper limb paralysis rehabilitation programs.

Stroke is a leading cause of adult long term disability in North America. The majority of current physical and occupational therapy treatment options for individuals with hemiparesis or upper limb paralysis show some benefit for motor recovery, however current therapy modalities are most effective for individuals with mild paresis. These same challenges exist when treating individuals living with spinal cord injury. There is a need for more effective solution for rehabilitation techniques for individuals with moderate to severe hemiplegia and paralysis.

MyndMove™ is an innovative, non-invasive functional electrical stimulation (FES) based neurorehabilitation therapy that helps individuals with upper limb paralysis gain movement and function of their arm, hand and fingers after a neurological injury such as stroke or spinal cord injury.