Oxford Mail/Banbury Cake
Stroke patients helped by 'glove'
By Fran Bardsley
A NEW piece of equipment, which helps stroke patients regain use of their hands, has been introduced at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford.
Six spring-loaded Saeboflex 'gloves' have been purchased for the Headington-based centre's neuro-rehabilitation gymnasium, and staff have been trained to teach patients how to use the specialist equipment.
Training and assessment for out-patients will be on offer and patients who would benefit from the technology and are staying in the 16 in-patient beds will also be able to use the device.
Brian Green, 63, of Headington, had a stroke last year, spending weeks in hospital as a result.
He bought one of the Saeboflex gloves two months ago and is already reaping the benefits.
He said: "Before I used it, I couldn't pick anything up or let go of anything and since I have been using it, I am able to pick up balls with my free hand after a session with it, do lots of things like open doors and the fridge and take the tops of jars.
"It's certainly made me a little bit more independent."
They told me at one point the hand and arm would take a long time to recover, but since using this it has come on in leaps and bounds."
The tool has proved highly effective, even for patients who were advised their chances for improvement were virtually non-existent.
In one case, in the United States where the 'glove' was developed, a patient was able to type, get dressed, and even begin to learn to play the guitar after a six-month period of treatment.
Senior NOC physiotherapist Jo Pierce said: "We're very excited about introducing this new way of treating patients.
"It's a relatively new rehabilitative tool that, as yet, is not widely used in this country - and not at all within the NHS or other specialist neurological rehabilitation treatment centres."
Occupational therapist Alison Bragg added that the equipment was of major importance to the treatment of patients.
She said: "It's very exciting, and we feel honoured that we are the first NHS unit to have the opportunity to use it with our patients."