Introducing Tailwind
Here you can learn about Tailwind™, a unique device that clinical studies have
demonstrated can permanently improve arm movement in stroke patients who
have lost upper extremity function - even years after their stroke event. The device is also helpful in improving arm function following brain injury, tumor and cerebral palsy. Tailwind is
a home-based exercise device developed by researchers at
the University of Maryland Medical School.
Effective for Stroke Survivors
Tailwind consists of two handles that move along independent
resistance-free tracks. The user moves the handles along each track
from different starting marks - and has auditory cues to guide when to
move his or
her arms. It is a "sound-to-brain" neural pathway retraining approach
that is theorised to help users with mild stroke symptoms achieve
life-altering results.
First of a Kind for Stroke
Tailwind has been demonstrated in clinical studies to permanently improve arm movement in stroke patients who have lost upper extremity function. In published
clinical studies, the science behind Tailwind was found to be a potentially useful solution in stroke rehabilitation.
So don't let discouragement from years of rehab that did not deliver the results you wanted prevent you from trying new Tailwind. If you have the motivation
to work with this device, research suggests it will work for you.
Why Exercise after Stroke?
The leading causes of mortality in stroke survivors are cardiovascular disease and recurrent stroke. However, physical activity decreases the risk factors associated with those
two outcomes.
Psychosocial factors also affect stroke survivors depending on the subsequent degree of disability. These and other factors can lead to post-stroke depression, the incidence of which ranges from 18 to 68 percent.
In addition, psychosocial factors can play a key role in a person's ability to benefit from rehabilitation and the ability to maintain those benefits. In a scientific statement offering recommendations for exercise and physical activity for stroke survivors, the American Heart Association noted that the positive effects of aggressive post-stroke rehabilitation. Exercise beyond the typical six months or so window following a stroke increases aerobic capacity and sensorimotor function.
Another important observation is the evidence suggesting that stroke survivors in many ways are comparable to their age-matched healthy peers in their ability to be exercise-trained, and that physical activity and exercise training are one important component of a comprehensive stroke risk-reduction program.
