Stroke Rehabilitation

Spaulding Rehabilitation Network Outpatient Center’s Stroke Rehabilitation programs provide an unsurpassed level of care for individuals who have had a stroke. Together our expert staff, advanced technologies, and research-supported therapies maximize recovery in every way, for each patient.

The Spaulding Network’s strength in stroke rehabilitation lies in our experienced professionals, who, working together, develop individualized plans of care. Each plan addresses treatments that will help you to help regain strength, motion, function and skills. Our teams have ready access to the specialists and services of the entire Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and Partners HealthCare System.

Expertise

The Stroke Rehabilitation Programs of the Spaulding Network’s Outpatient Centers provide an unsurpassed level of expertise in Stroke care. Our highly experienced team consists of physiatrists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, program managers and nutritionists, collaborating on each patient’s case to ensure maximum recovery. Our clinicians practice a multidisciplinary team approach to your rehabilitation. Working closely with you and your family, we aim to addresses your physical, functional and psychosocial needs by using evidence-based treatment practices and techniques based on the principles of neuroplasticity. Program components include comprehensive evaluations, goal-setting with input from patients’ and family members, and customized treatment programs. Clinicians also offer education and support groups for stroke survivors and their families.

Service Coordinator

Each of the Outpatient centers of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network have on-site clinical leaders who direct the Stroke Rehabiltiation programs.

Research & Innovation

Spaulding Rehabilitation Network is dedicated to using the most cutting edge modalities in the field of stroke rehabilitation, including:

Research Program:
Robot-Aided Rehabilitation: Armeo and Lokomat

Description:
Robot-Aided Rehabilitation includes the Armeo and the Lokomat. The Armeo is a robotic device that uses functional, task specific therapy with visual feedback, using highly sensitive weight support to reduce gravity, allowing you to use your upper extremities in a wide range of movement, even if you have limited use of your arm. The Lokomat is the first driven gait orthotic that assists walking movements of gait-impaired patients. It is used to improve mobility following stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis or other neurological diseases and injuries.

Research Program:
Partial Body Weight Supported Treadmill: LiteGait

Description:
Partial Body Weight Supported Treadmills, such as the Litegait, controls weight bearing, posture, and balance over a treadmill or over ground. It provides proper posture, reduces weight bearing, eliminates concerns of falling, and facilitates the training of coordinated lower extremity movement while allowing the clinician to manually assist movement in your legs and pelvis to achieve proper gait patterns.

Research Program:
Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation

Description:
Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation includes the Bioness L300, the Bioness H200, and the VitalStim. The Bioness L300 is a functional electrical stimulation system designed to help patients with neurological disorders affecting the lower extremities, specifically the foot. It is designed to stimulate your muscles, prevent atrophy and promote a more natural walking pattern. The Bioness H200 helps patients with upper-limb paralysis regain hand control. The H200 is used for exercise and functional activities, such as practicing grasping and releasing objects and performing activities in daily living. The VitalStim is used to treat dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, which often affects individuals who have had stroke. Vital Stimulation Therapy uses electrodes to strengthen and restore swallow function to improve quality of life.

Research Program:
Assessing the Usability of the 2 Degrees of Freedom (2DOF) Device

Description:
This device focuses on forearm and hand movements of supination, pronation, grasp and release. The device can assist or resist these movements depending on whether the treatment goal is range of movement or increased strength.

Research Program:
An Investigation of the Effects of Robotic Therapy in Stroke Patients

Description:
This study investigates the effects of robotic therapy on the upper limbs of stroke patients by estimating the changes in muscle activity pre and post rehabilitation.

Research Program:
Improving Recovery after Stroke via Electrical Stimulation of Proprioceptors

Description:
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of robotic and virtual reality training in neurorehabilitation combined with electrical stimulation of the proprioceptors.

Research Program:
The Effect of Repetitive Upper Arm Training in a Virtual Environment on Upper Extremity Motor Recovery in Chronic-Stroke Survivors.

Description:
In this study, we would like to compare the efficacy of training with a grip-type end-effector compared to and a glove-type end-effector. We will also compare efficacy of these two end-effectors in high-functioning versus low-functioning hemiparetic subjects.

Research Program:
Pelvic Obliquity Rehabilitation in Stroke Patients Using Robotically-Generated Force Fields

Description:
This study tests the usability and effectiveness of the Robotic Gait Rehabilitation Trainer in both healthy patients with no gait impairment and those with stroke and gait abnormalities. This robotic device applies force fields to a patient’s pelvic area to help train stroke patients to correct abnormal gait patterns involving exaggerated movements of the pelvis. Our study will evaluate both the effectiveness and user-functionality of the RGRT.

Locations

Stroke rehabilitation programs are based at the following Spaulding locations. Click on the name of the facility for more information.

Related Programs & Services

The following special services are available patients of the Stroke Rehabilitation Program at selected facilities, depending on the patient’s level of care needed.

Assistive Technology Center (ATEC)
Bioness
Body-Weight Supported Ambulation Training
Brace Clinic
Predriving Evaluation
Lokomat
Outpatient Constraint Induced Movement Program
Outpatient Monthly Stroke Club
Outpatient Neuro STAR Program at SRH-Boston
Outpatient Stroke Wellness Group
Radiology
Recreation Therapy
Aphasia Community Group
Vital Stimulation
Gait Laboratory