Baseball Pitcher and the Armtutor–a Winning Combination

On January 30, 2012 Scott Hood, a staff writer for GamecockCentral.com writes about Nolan Belcher, star pitcher for the South Carolina baseball team, remembers the moment when he realized something was wrong with his left arm.
Belcher threw a pitch, just like he had done thousands of times in high school and college previously.
However this time he had a sharp twinge in his elbow. Belcher pitched two more times and then surrendered to the throbbing pain.
He knew his season was over.
A year later, Belcher recalls every detail of the fateful moment.
”I felt a little twinge in my elbow. I knew something wasn’t right. I tried twice more after that. But the pain was unbearable. I had to just walk off the mound. I had an MRI the next day and they said it was 98 percent torn.”
Belcher had Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. All of a sudden, new elbow.
Months of rigorous rehab followed, a long, lonely and “miserable” process that culminated when Belcher took the mound for the first time in a year, throwing two hitless innings in the second scrimmage of preseason camp.
” (Rehab) is a miserable process. I was doing the same thing every day. It’s really tough mentally to go into the training room and try to get better each day.”
Using the ARMTUTOR and HANDTUTOR to improve usage of an injured limb is not a miserable process. In fact it can be somewhat enjoyable. Despite the fact that rehabilitation can be painful and lengthy in time spent, the TUTOR affords the patient a way of restoring movement ability. If Nolan Belcher had been using the HANDTUTOR or ARMTUTOR there would be games for him to use which would in essence provide him with the necessary therapy.
The ARMTUTOR and HANDTUTOR system has been developed to allow for functional rehabilitation of the upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and wrist. The system consists of an ergonomic wearable glove and arm brace together with dedicated rehabilitation software. The ARMTUTOR and HANDTUTOR system allows the physical and occupational therapist to report on and evaluate the patients functional rehabilitation progress. This allows the OT and PT to prescribe the right customized and motivating intensive exercise practice which is the cornerstone to manual rehabilitation therapy. Intensive repetition of movement is achieved through challenging games set to the patients movement ability. The system provides detailed exercise performance instructions and precise feedback on the patients exercise performance. Controlled exercise of multijoints within the normal movement pattern prevents the development of undesired and compensatory joint movement and ensures better performance of functional tasks.
Telerehabilitation allows the recovering patient to continue his physical therapy at home.See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.

Elderly Can Maximize their Post Stroke Rehabilitation Therapy With the Tutor System

Michaela M. Pinter and Michael Brainin of the Department for Clinical Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Danube University Krems, Krems, Austria write about
“Rehabilitation after stroke in older people”
Because stroke is a leading cause of disability therefore rehabilitation is a major part of patient care. Interventions mostly do not target the aged patient but there is much evidence to promote rehabilitation in the multidisciplinary stroke units or have integrated care of a multidisciplinary team in every community. Most research has focused on the effect of such interventions on recovery in different forms of disability and impairment. One of the most promising options for motor recovery of the arm includes constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) and robotic-assisted strategies. Interventions to improve postural stability and gait include fitness training, high-intensity therapy, and repetitive-task training. However, information about the clinical effect of various strategies of cognitive rehabilitation and strategies for aphasia and dysarthria is scarce. Several trials of rehabilitation trials are underway to test these interventions in the elderly. This would be done either alone or in combination with early mobilization, cardiorespiratory physical exercise and fitness training.
The TUTOR system has been developed for all ages to improve their mobility and limb movement post stroke, SCI, brain injury, upper and lower limb surgeries and other disabling diseases.
The newly developed HANDTUTOR and its sister devices (ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR, 3DTUTOR) have become a key system in neuromuscular rehabilitation. These innovative devices implement an impairment based program with augmented motion feedback that encourages motor learning through intensive active exercises and movement practice. The HANDTUTOR ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR, 3DTUTOR consist of wearable glove and braces that detect limb movement showing the patient how much active or assisted active movement they are actually doing. The rehabilitation software uses special rehabilitation games to set a new target for the patient’s ability to move their limb. The devices then measure the limb movement and give feedback on the success of the patient in trying to gain this new objective. In this way the patient is given feedback that allows the patient to understand which effort is more successful. In this way the Tutor system provides exercises that are challenging and motivating and allows for repetitive and intensive exercise practice.
The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR is now part of the rehabilitation program of leading U.S. German, Italian, French, UK and other foreign hospitals. See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.

Tutor System Replaces Externally Operated Devices in Physiotherapy

Rina Miller reports for Michigan Radio on January 29, 2012 about a hospital in Michigan that is working with yet again another robot that’s designed to help people who have spinal cord injuries to walk again.
DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit has been chosen as one of 10 hospitals in the nation trying out Ekso – a battery-powered exoskeleton.
The ultimate goal is to have a home device for patients, but that technology likely won’t be ready for another couple of years. Insurance companies may balk at covering the exoskeleton because of its cost, which can be exorbitant.
While DMC and other rehabilitation Institutes wait for additional technology to make their product totally effective the TUTOR system has been around now for a few years already assisting brain injured patients as well as those suffering a myriad of other disabilities to regain mobility in their affected limbs. The TUTOR system is also one of the most cost effective medical devices to enter the field of rehabilitative therapy.
Occupational and physical therapists use the HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR – known as the TUTOR system as a manual therapy tool to help them with their rehabilitative work. This means that the patient himself, and not an outside influence, allows progress to be made in returning normal mobility to the affected limb.
The TUTOR system has shown much success in rehabilitation of joint movement. The newly developed Tutors consist of ergonomic wearable devices. The HANDTUTOR is a glove for hand therapy and the ARMTUTOR is an arm brace for elbow and shoulder rehabilitation. The LEGTUTOR is a leg brace for leg and hip. The system is indicated for patients who have suffered TBI, a stroke, SCI, CP, MS, Parkinson’s disease and other mobility restraining illnesses. It is used by occupational therapists and physiotherapists in rehabilitation centers, private clinics and the home where it can be supported by tele physical therapy. It is designed for those who have head, trunk, upper and lower extremity movement dysfunction.
The accompanying software system consists of motivating and challenging games that allow the patient to practice isolated and/or interjoint coordination exercises. The dedicated rehabilitation software allows the physical and occupational therapist to fully customize the exercises to the patient’s movement ability. In addition, the OT and PT can make objective follow up and reports on their patient’s progress. Rehabilitation aims to optimizes the patient’s motor, sensory and cognitive performance and allows the patient to better perform everyday functional tasks to improve their quality of life. The TUTORS are certified by the FDA and CE See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information..

Tutors’ Secret is to Have the Patient Use His Own Initiative to Achieve a Good Result in Physical Therapy

Kurt Mossberg, a brain injury expert and a Professor in the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston department of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences writes for CHRON.COM. on Friday, January 27, 2012 about the length and difficulty of physical therapy for brain injured patients.
In the U.S. there are 1.7 million new cases of TBI per year and even many more that are unreported. In contrast, there are approximately 11,000 new cases of multiple sclerosis and 40,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease annually.
Fortunately, most TBIs are considered mild. However, a concussion, which is considered a mild brain injury, was once thought to have little to no residual effects. However, now we are learning about the long-term effects on behavior and cognition. Post-mortem studies of professional football players are finding that multiple hits to the head can result in changes to the brain that resemble Alzheimer’s disease.
Tremendous advances have been made in the treatment of TBI but there is still a long way to go in the area of post-acute and long-term rehabilitation. Robotic interventions are being explored in which isolated arm, wrist or hand movements are facilitated mechanically and even electrically. Leg movements and body weight can be controlled by a robotic device to help regain the ability to walk. However, some evidence suggests that a robotic intervention does not require enough effort on the part of the patient and the patient plays a less active role in the therapy session. The more the patient actively participates, the more likely there are to be long-term gains as the brain responds and adapts in a more normal fashion.
The TUTOR system has been created to bring the patient renewed limb mobility through his own efforts via these innovative devices. When the TBI or stroke patient has regained sufficient strength he can connect the HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR to the dedicated software that has been created.
The TUTOR devices allow the patient to practice isolated and/or interjoint coordination exercises. The dedicated rehabilitation software allows the physical and occupational therapist to fully customize the exercises to the patient’s movement ability. In addition, the OT and PT can make objective follow up and reports on their patient’s progress. Rehabilitation aims to optimize the patient’s motor, sensory and cognitive performance and allows the patient to better perform everyday functional tasks to improve their quality of life. All this is done through the patient’s initiative versus a robot doing it for him. The TUTORS are certified by the FDA and CE and can be used in tele physiotherapy from the patient’s home.
See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.

Tutors Can Shorten Recovery Period for TBI Patients

Bill Miston reports on Saturday, Jan. 28,2012 in Green Bay, Wisconsin that the recovery process from brain injury is usually long and slow.
It’s reported that each year more than 1.5 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury or TBI.That equals one person each 19 seconds. The leading cause is car accidents.
Cody Schneider, 22, of Oconto Falls is one of those statistics.
Cody spends three days a week at a rehabilitation center in Green Bay.
Right now he and 12 other brain injury rehabilitation program participants are working on just simple word problems.
The Medical Director of the Brain Injury Program at N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation, Patricia Neuman, says each brain injury is different than another and there are a lot of unknowns.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), although having a long recovery period, can have that somewhat shortened by making use of the TUTOR system when movement of limbs is affected.
The newly developed HANDTUTOR, for example, has become a key system in neuromuscular rehabilitation for TBI and stroke victims and those recovering from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s, MS, CP and other limb movement limitations. The HANDTUTOR is a hand therapy tool used by Occupational therapists. The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR consist of wearable glove and braces that detect limb movements showing the patient how much active or assisted active movement they are actually accomplishing. These innovative devices implement an impairment based program with augmented motion feedback that encourages motor learning through intensive active exercises and movement practice. The rehabilitation software uses special rehabilitation games to set a new target for the patient to again move their limb in a normal fashion. The devices then measure the limb movement and give feedback on the success of the patient in this new objective. In this way the patient is given feedback that allows the patient to understand which effort is more successful in getting them to move their affected limb again. Subsequently the TUTOR system provides exercises that are challenging and motivating and allow for repetitive and intensive exercise practice.
The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR are now part of the rehabilitation program of leading U.S. German, Italian, French, UK and other foreign hospitals. See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.

Tutor System Effective for all Ages

Representing the Austrian Stroke Unit Registry Dr.M. Knoflach, etal from the Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
conducted a study to analyze the association between patient age and good functional outcome following ischemic stroke with a special focus on younger patients who were underrepresented numerically in previous evaluations.
The conclusions they reached were that age was a highly significant inverse predictor of good functional results after ischemic stroke independent of the characteristics, severity, and complications. The age-outcome association exhibited a nonlinear scale and extended to young stroke patients.
The TUTOR system which was recently developed has been functioning well for stroke patients of all ages. The TUTORS are designed to assist physical rehabilitation even for children beginning at age 4.
The newly developed HANDTUTOR, for example, has become a key system in neuromuscular rehabilitation for TBI and stroke victims and those recovering from spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s, MS, CP and other limb movement limitations. The HANDTUTOR is a hand therapy tool used by Occupational therapists. These innovative devices implement an impairment based program with augmented motion feedback that encourages motor learning through intensive active exercises and movement practice.
The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR consist of wearable gloves and braces that detect limb movements showing the patient how much active or assisted active movement they are actually accomplishing. The dedicated software uses special rehabilitation games to set a new target in terms of the patient’s ability to move their limb. The devices then measure the limb movement and give feedback on the success of the patient in this new objective. In this way the patient is given feedback that allows the patient to understand which effort is more successful in allowing them to move their affected limb again. Subsequently the TUTOR system provides exercises that are challenging and motivating and allow for repetitive and intensive exercise practice.
The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR are now part of the rehabilitation program of leading U.S. German, Italian, French, UK and other foreign hospitals. See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.

”Dancing” with the Tutor System for Parkinson’s Patients

An interesting study was published in the ”Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair Journal” by Ryan P. Duncan, MPT and
Gammon M. Earhart, PhD of the Washington University School of Medicine, Program in Physical Therapy in St Louis, MO in January 2012.
Tango dancing has been effective in improving measures of physical function in people with Parkinson disease (PD). However, all previous studies were institution-based, tested participants on medication, and employed short-term interventions. The Objective of this study was to determine the effects of a 12-month community-based tango program for individuals with PD on disease severity and physical function. Participants were assessed off anti-Parkinson medication. The Conclusions were that improvements in the Tango group were apparent off medication, suggesting that long-term participation in tango may modify progression of disability in PD.
While the ”dance” therapy approach is interesting it is known that the ”TUTOR” approach also has a very good track record of achieving desired results for Parkinson’s patients.
The newly developed HANDTUTOR and its sister devices (ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR, 3DTUTOR) have become a key system in neuromuscular rehabilitation for stroke victims and those recovering from Parkinson’s, brain and spinal injuries, MS, CP and other limb movement limitations. These innovative devices implement an impairment based program with augmented motion feedback that encourages motor learning through intensive active exercises and movement practice. The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR consist of wearable glove and braces that detect limb movement showing the patient how much active or assisted active movement they are actually doing. The custom made software uses special rehabilitation games to set a new target for this movement in terms of the patient’s ability to move their affected limb. The devices then measure the limb movement and give feedback on the success of the patient in trying to gain this new movement objective. In this way the patient is given movement feedback that lets him understand which effort is more successful in allowing him to move his affected limb again. In this way the TUTOR system provides exercises that are challenging and motivating and allow for repetitive and intensive exercise practice. The HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR are now part of the rehabilitation program of leading U.S. German, Italian, French, UK and other foreign hospitals. See WWW.HANDTUTOR.COM for more information.