Help with tight, stiff muscles in the arm, hand or leg after a stroke, alongside your rehab program.
Find a clinic for stroke rehab
What it is
After a stroke, many people develop muscle tightness on the affected side. Doctors call this spasticity. The hand may stay curled, the elbow bent, or the leg stiff and heavy.
This tightness makes everyday tasks harder, and it can make therapy exercises painful.
How TECAR helps
- 1
TECAR does not repair the brain injury a stroke causes. It warms the tight muscles so they relax for a while, which can make stretching and therapy exercises easier and less painful.
- 2
Researchers have studied TECAR for muscle tightness after stroke, and Dr. Ouyang has used it with stroke patients in his own clinic.
- 3
TECAR is always given alongside your physical or occupational therapy, never instead of it. Talk to your doctor before you start, especially if you take blood thinners. If you have less feeling on the affected side, your practitioner will check the skin often and keep the heat lower.
What to expect
- Session length
- 20 to 30 minutes
- How often
- Twice a week, often on therapy days
- What you'll feel
- Mild warmth, with your practitioner checking in often
- Often paired with
- Physical or occupational therapy
How many sessions
Recovery after a stroke is gradual. Most people have 12 to 20 sessions over several months, and their practitioner reviews progress along the way.
One patient's story
“Eight months after my stroke, my right hand still stayed curled up. After a few weeks of TECAR alongside my exercises, I can open it enough to hold a cup.”
I had a stroke in March of last year, and it affected my right side. After the hospital and rehab I could walk with a cane, but my right hand stayed in a fist most of the time, and my calf felt tight and heavy.
Walter H.
71, Friendswood, Texas, 20 sessions
Clinics that treat this
4 certified clinics treat this. Here are the first few.
Find a clinic that treats stroke rehab
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Want to know more first? Read how TECAR works