Rehabilitation for Guillain-Barre syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your nerves causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis, leaving the person unable to breathe which is considered a medical emergency and the patient must be hospitalized to receive treatment.

   symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome:

·         Prickling, pins and needles sensations in your fingers, toes, ankles, or wrists.

·         Weakness in your legs that spreads to your upper body

·         Unsteady walking or inability to walk or climb stairs

·         Double vision or inability to move eyes

·         Difficulty with bladder control or bowel function

·         Abnormal heartbeat/rate or blood pressure

·         Pain that can be severe, particularly at night

·         Difficulty breathing

The exact cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown. The disorder usually appears days or weeks after a respiratory or digestive tract infection It can strike at any age (although it is more frequent in adults and older people) and both sexes are equally prone to the disorder.

Fortunately, most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases of GBS. But even after recovery, some people can be left with long-term problems, such as weakness, numbness, or fatigue.

There’s no known cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome. But, Some therapies can lessen the severity of the illness, shorten recovery time, and treat the lingering complications of the disease. In this case, patients have to go through the rehabilitation phase where they receive physical rehabilitation and other therapy to regain strength, resume activities of daily living, and prepare to return to their pre-illness life. 

In these circumstances, Robotic gloves Can not only help therapists or physicians induce patients to participate in rehabilitation training more actively but also benefits patients from having individualized rehabilitation to maximize their hand’s function and independence in the comfort of their homes.

The SIFREHAB-1.0 offers an effective hand recovery program  (ADL) that involves a set of various tasks to build up strength and dexterity such as dressing, self-feeding, bathing, laundry, meal preparation, and other similar everyday tasks. These daily repetitive exercises minimize muscle tension, enhance blood circulation, relieve pain, and prevent muscle weakening. 

In addition to that, the SIFREHAB-1.0  comes with Mirror therapy training: During which, the mirror glove is worn on the non affected hand, is used to measure the gripping force and bending angle of each finger joint for motion detection. The motor glove, also, provides the affected hand with an assisted driving force to perform training tasks. Doing these exercises will give the brain the impression that patients are moving their affected limb. Over time it will help rewire the brain and decrease numbness in the affected limb.

Patients with remaining Guillain-Barre attack complications have to go through a complex challenge adapting their bodies, minds and lives to this new situation.  Activities that once were natural habits are suddenly very challenging and frustrating.  But those who are more active and persistent in their rehabilitation through undergoing physical therapy and using the robotic gloves are able to regain more function faster and easier.

Ref: Guillain-Barré Syndrome Fact Sheet

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top