AnyHand is not only used in clinics and medical practices. In the meantime, more and more patients are benefiting from the AnyHand at home. It can be used to train the hand every day and support the healing process. This is shown by patient Marion, interviewed here, who tells us how regular training with the AnyHand at home has improved her hand mobility.
Hand in the AnyHand during training Dear Marion, thank you for taking the time to talk about your experience with the AnyHand. Tell us, what happened?
I had a motorcycle accident in September 2021 and, among other things, injured my hand, breaking or shattering several of my fingers at once. As a result, I had a total of two surgeries. For example, I now have a plate in my ring finger. My middle finger was straightened and fixed with a wire, which came out during the second operation. After this operation I also developed CRPS. [1]
What did that mean for the mobility of your hand?
I had great problems bending my middle, ring and little finger. In addition, there was an impairment due to pre-existing osteoarthritis, which was sort of intensified by the accident and the surgeries.
What happened next, how were the injuries treated after the surgeries?
Since the beginning of December until today I have continuous occupational therapy. On the one hand specific hand therapy and on the other hand physiotherapy. That means in the best case I have since then 4 times a week hand therapy.
Then where did you first hear about the AnyHand?
I felt that 20 minutes four days a week was just not enough, and that's when my hand therapist told me about AnyHand. She said that I could use it regularly and move my hand much more often, which is exactly what I wanted.
And with that, you decided to rent the AnyHand?
Exactly. I rented the AnyHand for three months.
Were you supported financially?
Yes, I am eligible for assistance. After a fairly uncomplicated application, I received a subsidy of 50% and I was able to clarify the rest with my private health insurance. In fact, I did not have to pay any costs.
Did you get the AnyHand directly to your home? Where did you try the AnyHand for the first time?
My occupational therapist first had AnyHand in her practice for 14 days for testing. There I tried it out for the first time and was personally guided. When I later had the AnyHand at home, I was already familiar with the operation and found it actually quite simple.
You had hoped to be able to train your hand more than once a day with the AnyHand. Have you been able to implement this?
Absolutely. Especially in the beginning, and especially on the days when I wasn't doing occupational therapy, I used AnyHand very frequently and exercised between eight and twelve times a day. Towards the end of the three months, it became a little less, but still once or twice a day, and I noticed that the progress remained stable even at this lower frequency.
Wow, that's a lot of training. How has the mobility of your hand changed in the meantime?
The progress was very good and very quickly noticeable. At the beginning, I could hardly move the affected hand and only with pain. With the training, I was able to move the fingers more and more and bend them more, so that I could also adapt AnyHand to my progress.
And now after three months of therapy with the AnyHand, how is your hand doing now?
Much better in any case. The index finger can be moved again almost like before the accident. However, I can't quite close my hand into a complete fist yet, so I'm still receiving occupational therapy.
Finally, please tell us: Were you satisfied with the AnyHand?
Yes definitely and with that I can recommend it also for patients with similar problems of the hand.
Thank you Marion for sharing your experience with the AnyHand.
[1] Complex regional pain syndrome is a neurological pain disorder that can occur after bodily injuries resulting from fractures or surgery.
