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The Best Hand Exercise Equipment for Stroke Patients
Medically reviewed by
Andrew Tran PT, DPT, NCS, CSCS
— written by Flint Rehab.
Last updated on January 31, 2020
Hand exercise equipment for stroke patients offers a better way to improve fine motor skills.
When choosing your rehab tools, it’s important to pick equipment that’s suitable for your ability level. Your physical and occupational therapists are great people to ask for recommendations.
Below, you will find some of the best hand exercise equipment that stroke patients can use at home.
Advice from a PT: How to Choose Hand Exercise Equipment for Stroke Patients
We talked to our favorite physical therapists about hand exercise equipment recommendations for patients after stroke.
It seems that every physical therapist would ask you the same question before you invest in therapy equipment:
“Will you use it daily, and want to use it daily?”
This question is key because massed practice (i.e. consistent, repetitive practice) is the key to recovery after stroke.
Increased reps initiate neuroplasticity and enable the brain to heal itself after stroke.
When choosing hand exercise equipment for stroke recovery, choose something that motivates you to accomplish high repetition daily.
Hand Therapy Equipment for Stroke Patients
Now that you know what to look for, let’s move on to the best hand exercise equipment for stroke patients.
This list includes our own products – because hand therapy is our specialty – but it also includes other stuff, with unaffiliated links.
Here is the best hand therapy equipment available for stroke patients:
1. Hand Therapy Balls – Best for Travel
Hand therapy balls offer a simple way to exercise your hands, especially if you have severe spasticity and clenched hands.
Therapy balls come with different softness/hardness so that you can find a challenge that’s good for you.
If you get them, we have some hand therapy ball exercises on the blog that you can try.
Shop hand exercise balls on Amazon »
2. Therapy Putty – Most Affordable
Therapy putty is a popular, inexpensive hand therapy tool with physical and occupational therapists.
When choosing your therapy putty, look for the kind that comes in different resistances. As your hand strength improves, you can use tougher putty to keep improving.
Shop therapy putty on Amazon »
3. Finger Exercisers – Good for Strengthening
Hand strengtheners are great for both retraining your brain and strengthening your muscles.
While the primary goal of stroke rehabilitation is to rewire the brain with repetitive exercise, it’s also important to work on rebuilding strength.
Both the therapy balls and therapy putty help strengthen your hand too, but the exerciser adds even more challenge.
Shop hand exercisers on Amazon »
Want 25 pages of hand therapy exercises in PDF form? Click here to download our free Hand Therapy Exercise ebook now (link opens a pop up for uninterrupted reading)
4. Tabletop Mirror Therapy – Good for Paralysis Recovery
Mirror therapy is a rehabilitation technique that can help improve hand paralysis after stroke.
Ask your therapist if you can do some mirror therapy together so that you understand how it works. Then, replicate the therapy on your own at home with your own mirror therapy set.
Shop mirror therapy sets on Amazon »
5. PVC Pipe Tree – Good for Physical Therapy
Occupational therapists often use PVC pipe trees in the clinic to help patients improve hand function.
Pipe trees made the list of the best hand exercise equipment because it allows you to practice their fine and complex motor skills.
It requires grasp and release movements along with hand and arm coordination.
6. MusicGlove – Good for Fast Results
MusicGlove is a premium music- and gaming-based hand therapy device made by Flint Rehab. It’s clinically proven to improve hand function in 2 weeks.
The high-tech hand exercise equipment encourages you to accomplish high repetitions of therapeutic hand exercises.
Unlike other hand exercise equipment, MusicGlove is something that you’ll want to use daily because it’s fun to use.
Shop MusicGlove from Flint Rehab »
7. FitMi Home Therapy – Good for Paralysis Recovery
FitMi is another high-tech exercise tool from Flint Rehab that motivates you to exercise the full-body, including the hands.
FitMi is suitable for all impairment levels, even if you have no movement in your hand. You just need to start with passive exercises by assisting your affected hand with your non-affected hand.
Bob and Brad, “the most famous physical therapists on the internet,” reviewed FitMi (without being paid to do so) and gave it a thumbs up!
Choosing Your Hand Therapy Tool for Recovery
As you mull over your options, remember to keep this advice from our physical therapists in mind:
Choose something that you can see yourself using daily, and want to use daily.
Whether you start with simple hand exercise equipment or invest in high-tech tools, we hope that your hand function improves with this equipment.
Keep It Going: Download a Free PDF Hand Therapy Exercise Guide!
Do you have this 25 page PDF of beautifully illustrated hand therapy exercises? You don’t want to miss this!
The best way to improve hand mobility after a stroke is to practice hand therapy exercises. Sign up below to get your copy of this free ebook.
You’ll also receive our weekly Monday newsletter that contains 5 articles on stroke recovery, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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Do you have this 25-page PDF of hand exercises?
Get a free copy of our ebook Hand Therapy Exercises for Stroke Patients. Click here to get instant access.
You're on a Roll: Read More Popular Articles on Hand Recovery After Stroke
Meet the MusicGlove: An Evidence-Based and Fun-to-Use Hand Recovery Tool
If you want to motivate yourself to accomplish the high repetition of hand exercises necessary for recovery, then you need to meet the MusicGlove.
Created by Flint Rehab (who also created the blog you’re currently reading), this hand therapy tool is clinically proven to improve hand function within two weeks of use when used for at least 25 minutes a day.
See how other survivors have improved hand function with it:
“My wife suffered a stroke that resulted in her being paralyzed on her left side. She did not have the use of her left hand, even after going through physical therapy in the hospital.
I had ordered the MusicGlove, along with the FitMi system and had them ready for her when she arrived home from the hospital. She was unable to open, or separate, the fingers on her left hand, and seriously I had my doubts that the MusicGlove would work for her.
She has been home from the hospital a little over a month and thanks to this fabulous system, she is now able to not only spread her fingers out, but is able to use them at about 50% capacity.
We are thoroughly convinced that without the MusicGlove system her hand would be totally useless. We are looking forward to continued gains in the use of her hand and fingers. Thank you Flint Rehab for coming to our rescue.” –Mike S.
My mom loves it!
“We purchased the MusicGlove + FitMi pack for my mom after she suffered bilateral strokes. It’s so fun watching her play and it’s incredible how much her dexterity, range of motion, and strength has increased, even after only a few minutes a day. The Music Glove is a great way to improve while having fun doing it. I’m so thankful we found this product!” -Brenna
Fabulous device!
“We bought the MusicGlove for my brother, Kevin, after he had a stroke 5 years ago. This device has been so very helpful in his recovery! He has regained movement in his fingers which is just short of a miracle! It is such good therapy for him both physically and mentally!
Not only do we feel the physical movement helps but it’s a bit of music therapy also! He enjoys the variety of songs to choose from along with different levels of difficulty. It’s been worth every penny and then some! His physical therapist says it’s priceless!!” –Lori
Not only is MusicGlove beloved and approved by survivors, but it’s also used in the top rehab clinics in the world, including the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, the #1 ranked hospital in America.
When you choose to use MusicGlove, you’re in good company. To learn more about the hand therapy device from Flint Rehab, click the button below:
