Feys 1998 - Effect of a therapeutic intervention for the hemiplegic upper limb in the acute phase after stroke: a single-blind, randomized, controlled multicenter trial
An upper extremity robot like Burt® allows a patient to complete shoulder flexion to the best of their ability. Then the robot will continue to move the patient’s arm through full ROM to complete the task. This allows for the patient to do the work while still receiving a functional stretch to decrease tone that could form in the joints from non-use. You can also grade down or up the resistances that the robot provides. You can instruct patients to resist the robot’s movement to address an isometric contraction to increase strength within smaller muscle groups. Strength training really starts taking place once a patient begins to show functional movement. Feys et al “demonstrated that highly repetitive, stereotyped movements can be effective in stroke subjects if the movements are facilitated by external forces applied to the limb. Robotic devices can also provide force feedback for sensorimotor-type rehabilitative training, measure speed, direction, and strength of residual voluntary activity, and interactively evaluate patients’ movements and assist them in moving the limb through a predetermined trajectory during a given motor task.”