No products in the cart.
Best Stroke Rehab Equipment for Safely Recovering at Home
- Last updated on December 22, 2020
Individuals who use stroke rehab equipment at home are often more motivated to exercise on a regular basis, and as a result, see improvements in their mobility.
Stroke survivors who exercise daily will benefit from brain stimulation that is necessary for recovery.
Written exercises alone can help, but adding useful stroke rehab equipment expands the type of exercises you can do. Here’s a roundup of the best stroke rehab equipment available for you to use at home.
All Amazon links are non-affiliate, which means we do NOT make any money when you click on them.
Premium Stroke Rehab Equipment
Not all stroke survivors need premium equipment in order to see results. However, premium stroke rehab gadgets can be motivating to use, which help encourage regular exercise.
Since repetition and consistency are key to recovery, consider these premium stroke recovery tools to use at home. It’s always a good idea to run them by your therapist to ensure they’re a good fit for you.
1. Electrical Stimulation Machine
If you have paralysis after stroke or severe muscle weakness, then electrical stimulation can help introduce movement into the areas that were affected. Electrical stimulation can be very effective for regaining movement after stroke, especially when you combine it with strengthening exercises.
Shop electrical stimulation devices on Amazon »
2. MusicGlove Hand Therapy
This stroke rehab device from Flint Rehab is clinically proven to improve hand function in just 2 weeks. It combines therapeutic hand exercises with a music-based game that will make you forget you’re doing therapy in the first place.
Shop MusicGlove from Flint Rehab »
3. FitMi Interactive Therapy
Flint Rehab’s most popular recovery tool, FitMi home therapy, can help motivate you to accomplish the high repetition of exercise necessary to see impressive results. It’s good for improving leg, arm, and hand mobility.
Leg and Core Stroke Rehab Equipment
If you want to improve your ability to walk (gait) and balance, then consider investing in rehab equipment that targets the legs and core.
Here are some great lower extremity recovery gadgets to consider:
4. Stationary Exercise Bikes
Stationary bikes are an excellent investment to help you exercise as you recover from a stroke. It combines bilateral leg movements with aerobic activity, which promotes cardiovascular health and lower body coordination. Bilateral training like this is therapeutic for stroke survivors because it encourages movement on the weaker side.
Shop exercise bikes on Amazon »
Want 25 pages of stroke recovery exercises in PDF form? Click here to download our free Stroke Rehab Exercise ebook now (link opens a pop up for uninterrupted reading)
5. Balance Boards
Individuals with low-level impairments benefit from using balance boards to retrain the balance system, which is commonly affected after a stroke. Always use your balance board in the presence of a caregiver and hold onto a table or countertop for extra support.
Shop balance boards on Amazon »
6. Stability Balls
Classic stability balls make great, affordable stroke exercise equipment for focusing on your core. A strong core is essential for improving balance after stroke, so you can use this ball to practice various core exercises for stroke patients.
Shop stability balls on Amazon »
Arm and Hand Stroke Rehab Equipment
Arm and hand movement is essential for accomplishing the activities of daily living and feelings of independence. Fortunately, there are many stroke rehab devices on the market that can help with this goal.
To improve arm and hand mobility, consider these useful stroke recovery tools:
7. Mirror Box
Mirror therapy is particularly useful for individuals after a stroke who struggle with hand weakness or clenched hands after stroke. It works by placing a mirror over the affected hand and using the reflection to “trick” the brain. This type of therapy can retrain your brain to move your weakened hand.
8. Arm Peddlers
Use the leg bike featured above to exercise your arms by simply placing it on the table, instead of the floor. Exercise for your arms provides the same type of benefits as it does for your lower body.
9. Arm Skates
An arm skate can increase range of motion by limiting the amount of work required. Although they are not primarily used to increase strength, they help reintroduce movement to the affected arm.
10. Dumbbells and Wrist Weights
To increase strength in your affected arm, dumbbells and wrist weights are an affordable, simple option. Use them to complete upper extremity stroke exercises to not only stimulate the brain and encourage recovery, but stimulate muscle growth too. This can help address any muscle atrophy (loss of muscle tissue) that may happen after long periods of inactivity.
Shop light weights on Amazon »
11. Therapy Putty
Therapy putty is another popular hand therapy tool that can help improve fine motor coordination, strength, and range of motion. Practice these therapy putty exercises to help you achieve these goals.
Shop therapy putty on Amazon »
12. Hand Exercise Balls
Hand exercise balls are a popular form of hand therapy after stroke because they are easy to use and inexpensive. Use them and follow along with this therapeutic hand therapy ball program.
Shop hand exercise balls on Amazon »
Stroke Rehabilitation Equipment for Aphasia
Aphasia is a post-stroke side effect that impacts an individual’s ability to communicate. There are many different types of aphasia, so it’s important to work with a speech therapist for diagnosis and treatment.
To see the best improvements, it often works best to practice speech therapy exercises at home in between visits to your local speech therapist. Here’s our recommended speech therapy app:
13. CT Speech and Cognitive Therapy App
Aphasia is a condition that affects speech after stroke. To improve your language skills, practice speech and cognitive exercises that target your communication and memory skills. A great way to motivate yourself to do this is by using the CT App with over 100,000+ speech and cognitive exercises.
Shop CT App from Flint Rehab »
How to Choose the Right Equipment for You
The best stroke rehab equipment will motivate you to exercise and perform high repetitions of your rehab exercises.
A high number of repetition activates neuroplasticity, which is the mechanism that your brain uses to rewire itself and relearn important activities
The more your brain rewires itself, the more muscle control you will develop. Activating neuroplasticity is how you will see lasting long-term results.
If you aren’t motivated to exercise, then you won’t see results. Be sure to choose stroke equipment that you find meaningful and motivating!
Best of luck on the road to recovery.
Medically reviewed by
Kayla Covert, PT, DPT
— written by Flint Rehab
Kayla Covert, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist who specializes in neurological rehab.
Keep It Going: Download Our Stroke Recovery Ebook for Free
Get our free stroke recovery ebook by signing up below! It contains 15 tips every stroke survivor and caregiver must know.
You’ll also receive our weekly Monday newsletter that contains 5 articles on stroke recovery.
We will never sell your email address, and we never spam. That we promise.
You’re on a Roll! See how Jerry is regaining movement with FitMi home therapy
My husband is getting better and better!
“My name is Monica Davis but the person who is using the FitMi is my husband, Jerry. I first came across FitMi on Facebook. I pondered it for nearly a year. In that time, he had PT, OT and Speech therapy, as well as vision therapy.
I got a little more serious about ordering the FitMi when that all ended 7 months after his stroke. I wish I hadn’t waited to order it. He enjoys it and it is quite a workout!
He loves it when he levels up and gets WOO HOOs! It is a wonderful product! His stroke has affected his left side. Quick medical attention, therapy and FitMi have helped him tremendously!”
What are these “WOO HOOs” about?
FitMi is like your own personal therapist encouraging you to accomplish the high repetition of exercise needed to improve.
When you beat your high score or unlock a new exercise, FitMi provides a little “woo hoo!” as auditory feedback. It’s oddly satisfying and helps motivate you to keep up the great work.
In Jerry’s photo below, you can see him with the FitMi pucks below his feet for one of the leg exercises:
FitMi is beloved by survivors and used in America’s top rehab clinics
Many therapists recommend using FitMi at home between outpatient therapy visits and they are amazed by how much faster patients improve when using it.
It’s no surprise why over 14,000 OTs voted for FitMi as “Best of Show” at the annual AOTA conference; and why the #1 rehabilitation hospital in America, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, uses FitMi with their patients.
This award-winning home therapy device is the perfect way to continue recovery from home. Read more stories and reviews by clicking the button below:
More Ways to Recover with Flint Rehab:
Download Free Stroke Rehab Exercises
Keep Reading by Category
Discover Award-Winning Neurorehab Tools
Flint Rehab is the leading global provider of gamified neurorehab tools. Check out our bestselling tool by clicking the button below:
