Irvine, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/15/2014 -- Chances are, you know someone with a stroke. That’s because every 35 seconds someone in the U.S. has one. Unfortunately options for hand therapy are currently limited and are not engaging. Flint Rehabilitation Devices, LLC is a rehabilitation device company that sets out to change the way people do rehabilitation. “We believe that rehabilitation both at home and the clinic should be fun, engaging, and most importantly effective. All three of these elements are crucial to recovery after neurologic injury,” says president and co-founder Nizan Friedman, Ph.D.

The group recently launched a new FDA approved rehabilitation device called the MusicGlove. You can watch a video of it here:

http://www.musicglove.com/about/

It is a sensorized glove that users wear to play a therapy based music gamesimilar to GuitarHero. Users make specific gripping movements to hit notes on the screen that are synchronized to a song. Practicing these movements such as key-pinch grip, and pincer grasp are crucial for regaining hand function after stroke. The device also records each patient’s progress so that they can easily track their improvement and goal set. “We commonly here from clinicians that their patients are coming to therapy early so that they can be first in line to use the MusicGlove. Patients are laughing, singing along, and are actually excited to get to get to their therapy session on time,” states Dr. Friedman.

But the million dollar question is: Is it effective? In randomized controlled trials both in the clinic and at home, users significantly improved hand function compared to conventional hand therapy guided by a therapist. After 3 weeks of therapy with the MusicGlove, users reported gains such as being able to open a doorknob, wash dishes, fasten a bra, type on a keyboard, and use the restroom. These improvements in activities of daily living greatly improved user’s ability to function independently.

Why does it work so well? “The secret is in the music”, Friedman says, “Participating in music has been shown to lead to neural plasticity and cortical reorganization in the brain.” Simply meaning, participating in music facilitates the brain’s ability to recover after a stroke. Further music is naturally highly repetitive. People using the MusicGlove typically make over 2000 movements in a 45 minutes. This high number of repetitions is critical to recovery. Finally, music is engaging. The MusicGlove offers a form of therapy that is fun and will keep the user motivated to continue their rehabilitation regimen.

About Music Glove
The device is currently being used in top rehabilitation centers around the country including the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, UCLA medical center, UC Irvine medical center, and Rancho Los Amigos national rehabilitation center. It is also being used in homes around the country. You can pick one up directly from their website www.musicglove.com for $99/month for 12 months.

Media Contact:

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/MusicGlove
Youtube: http://youtu.be/88L1oW13O4A
Website: www.flintrehabilitation.com

Devon Gerwolls
Sales Representative
Flint Rehabilitation Devices, LLC
www.flintrehabilitation.com
949-667-0140