New Tailwind Device Improves Arm Function in Stroke Survivors with Paralysis

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec 15, 2009 -
In the publication, entitled "A Stroke of Genius," Tailwind inventors Sandy McCombe Waller, PhD and Jill Whitall, PhD conclude that the Tailwind stroke rehabilitation device “improves the range of motion in partially paralyzed individuals”, using “auditory cueing to improve the ability to control joint interactions, speed and movement”.

The inventors further say that the Tailwind device “is portable, lightweight, easily adjusted with one hand for patients starting out and permits training of the arm in several different positions.” Based on their clinical studies, the inventors conclude that Tailwind “can promote meaningful change in patients, particularly in bilateral arm functions”.

“The patient feedback that we’re getting from stroke survivors who are using Tailwind is amazing and heart-warming” says Kris Appel, President of Encore Path. “It is difficult to put into words how good it feels to manufacture a product that is making such a difference in the lives of stroke survivors, even those who have suffered disability for years and thought they would never get better.“

The Tailwind is an exercise device that can be used in a rehabilitation center with a therapist, or independently at home. Improvement in arm function and range of motion can be seen in some users in just weeks, even with survivors who had a stroke many years earlier. Several scientific studies have been published on the device, which is also known as the BATRAC, or bilateral arm trainer with rhythmic auditory cueing. These articles have appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Stroke.