First movements

The first movements of arm as well as leg will depend on the type of stroke, its localization and quality of medical treatment. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that rehabilitation of an arm goes on a bit slower than that of a leg. May be this is the result of imperceptible process of rehabiliation. This or that way we try to use the affected leg to walk about the room, to go to the kitchen, to the toilette, and those imperciptible movements improve the muscles of the affected lower extremity. Unlike the affected leg the affected arm doesn't do any actions, because you try to use only unaffected arm, that results in slower process of rehabilitation.
The strongest and the most physically developed muscles of arm begin to work first. They are the muscles of upper limb girdle. In our case we may begin with exercises, working over the group of muscles of upper limb girdle that are responsible for lifting or lowering of arm. Don't concentrate only on lifting your arm before you. Learn new movements - back and aside. At the same time learn to bend and unbend your bend of elbow. Rehabilitation of hand is a difficult task because hand has a complicated structure. But work on it.

Lifting forward

Lifting aside

Lifting back

Elbow bending

Muscle spasm

The first problem you'll meet is muscle spasm. Muscles staying in state of immobility for a long time loose their flexibility and shorten a bit, besides paralysis leads to increasing of muscle tone that results in spasm, limited and constrained movements.
To some extend the problem of spasms can be solved. Staying in one attitude for a long time try to change the position of ypur arm. Several times a day do exercises on limbering-up of joints and lenghting out of muscles. Pay attention to the fact that low temperature prevent you from feeling comfortable and raise spasms of both arm and leg. Try to keep comfortable temperature in your room and you'll feel better. But, step by step, you must train yourself to low temperatures.

a

b

c

d

The first exercise on warming-up of joints and lenghtening out of muscles. Crossing fingers and placing hands on chest level (picture a) lover them slowly (picture b).
The second exercise on warming-up of joints and lenghtening out of muscles. Crossing fingers place hand in the position in the picture. Slowly replace your hands from position c to position d. Your arms must be parallel to the floor.

With the help of a stick (1-1.5 metres long) you can do a lot of exercises on limbering-up of upper limb girdle, of elbow bend and of back muscles. These exercises improve flexibility of muscles, strengthen and enlarge them, extend the amplitude of movements.

It's a magic stick, isn't it?

Lifting of the stick on maximum hight

Lower it and place it behind your head

Warming-up of a hand

Highly effective means of warming-up of fingers and hand is Mr. Rubik's invention.

Turninig of planes of Mr. Rubik's block helps to train all the movements of your hand (up and down, right and left), limber up fingers phalaxes strengthen finger muscles and to some extend improve micromovements of fingers.
Turning planes back and forward you train different muscles. Having taken with your fingers two planes of block you will make lesser effort (picture a) and having taken one plane the effort will be greater and you'll need more precise movements (picture b). As a rule only thumb and forefinger will be working. Try to use all the fingers, grasping the block with four or even fingers.

a

b

Limbering-up of fingers

A complicated moments of rehabilitation is training of micromovements of your fingers. Revolving of pencillike object with fingers is a great help.

Use simple methods. Take a pencil or a pen with two fingers and revolve it back and forward. Methods are simple, doing is difficult. The most "obedient" finger is your forefinger. Try to use thumb and forefinger (picture a). If difficult help the working fingers with your other hand. In case of success use the other fingers and thumb (picture b, c).

a

b

c

Use a swing. But there must a post of this kind (see the picture). Push off from the post and changing the angle of bend of arm you'll make different groups of muscles work. Picture a, b.

a

b