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Wrist Exercise Device

Whom is the device for? (Usage Areas)

Handfizz is an innovative robotic wrist trainer device for two types of areas:

1. For the individuals who want to increase control and strength in their wrist, such as sportsmen & sportswomen.
2. Individuals who have limited mobility (loss of movement) for any reason. For example:

Neurological field:

1. Cerebral Palsy
2. Stroke Paralysis
3. Parkinson
4. Brachial Plexus
5. Head Trauma
6. Spinal Cord Injuries
7. Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Orthopedic Field:

1. Exercises after bone fracture
2. Tendon injuries
3. Soft tissue injuries
4. Muscle and connective tissue injuries

Handfizz can be used in children and adults if there is wrist movement limitation and spasticity.

The Wrist Strengthener Device’s Mechanism of Action & Our Goal

With Robotic Wrist Exerciser

1. If strengthening is to be done on the wrist, the way it works and the mechanism of action is different. Stretching exercises should not be performed with the device.
2. If active movement is to be revealed, the way it works and the mechanism of action is different.
3. If exercise is to be done for contraction, the way it works and the mechanism of action is different.

The most important thing to do in neurological rehabilitation treatments is exercises. Unless exercises are performed, the efficiency of the rehabilitation of the individual with limited mobility and the physiotherapist cannot be at the desired levels, no matter how hard they work. Exercises should be done regularly and continuously every day. This is also the case in healthy individuals. When healthy individuals exercise every day, their quality of life increases. Individuals with loss of movement, individuals who have had a stroke, individuals with a neurological diagnosis such as cerebral palsy must exercise during treatment. These exercises should be done daily and regularly. Since individuals with mobility limitations will have difficulty performing daily exercises, it is very important for the treatment to make these exercises as easy as possible and to ensure the continuity of the exercises.

The use of robotic systems has a very important place in making the exercises easy, ensuring their continuity, and making the physiotherapist’s treatments more efficient. Handfizz wrist robotic exercise device is a device that individuals with limited mobility should definitely receive support as it enables exercises to be performed easily and continuously.

1- In Exercises for Strengthening the Wrist;
The individual connects to the device. The device makes the wrist move up and down. The power range that we want the individual to apply in the direction of lowering or lifting up is entered into the interface of the device. When the individual applies more or less force on the wrist than the desired power range, the device gives an audible and visual warning. This strengthening exercise is an isokinetic exercise. Isokinetic exercises have been proven to be very effective in strengthening muscles. During this exercise, the individual has to concentrate on the wrist. When his attention is distracted, he cannot apply force within the desired range. A very intense command has to go from the brain to the muscles that raise and lower the wrist. Since the brain’s work in the wrist region will increase, neuroplasticity in that region will increase and the processing capacity of that region will increase. The wrist will be controlled more quickly by the brain and the muscles there will become stronger.
2- In Exercises to Reveal Active Movement in the Wrist;
The individual first connects to the device. The range of motion in which the wrist will work is determined. The device passively makes the wrist move up and down. Meanwhile, the screen shows how much force is applied when lifting the wrist up and down. If the individual participates in the movement while lifting up, he sees that he is making this movement on the screen. Likewise, when he makes the movement of lowering down with active participation, he sees that he is doing this movement again. Individuals with active movement weakness cannot participate in movement in every range of motion, so this damaged area in the brain cannot give the body an active movement command. This region, which is supposed to give orders to the brain but cannot give orders due to damage, is exposed to negative neuroplasticity due to not being able to give orders due to not working. While working with the robotic exercise device, the brain has the opportunity to participate in movement at all angles, thus getting the chance to give movement orders to the wrist region at all angles and transforming negative neuroplasticity into positive neuroplasticity. After these exercises, there is an increase in active movement in the wrist.
3- The Effect of Passive Exercises in Teaching Movement to the Brain
The brain receives the position information of the body thanks to the sensory sensors that transfer the position information in the joints and muscles, processes it and orders active movement in this direction. If some of the remaining parts of the brain take over the task of this damaged sensory part, the contraction is resolved. Neuroplasticity (shape changing of the brain) feature is used to ensure that the remaining intact areas can take over the task. When a lot of position data is sent from the body to the brain, neuroplasticity will accelerate and the remaining intact areas will undertake the task more easily. Passive exercises are performed on the device for the desired duration, at the desired speed, and by adjusting the amount of vibration given to the joint. In this way, there will be a much greater increase in neuroplasticity after the exercise than with manual exercises.

Benefits of Passive Exercises

1. Provides mobility of joints and connective tissue.
2. It minimizes the problem of muscles not being able to complete their range of motion.
3. It protects and supports the elasticity of the muscles.
4. It helps the healing process after injury or surgery.