Examples from everyday life
Our users report on their experiences with the exomotion® product family
Pia had an accident at work when she was just 21 years old. Injury to soft tissue and nerves in her arm resulted in a complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS/Morbus Sudeck). The disease affected her entire right arm, and since then she has also had no function in her hand.
She lacks the function of her right hand, especially in everyday life, when doing simple things like getting dressed or preparing food (cooking and baking). For any activity that requires both arms and hands.
Pia is open to modern aids. Her medical supply store, where she is already a customer, approached her about the myoelectric hand orthosis. The hand orthosis was tested during the suitability test at the medical supply store, a prescription was submitted to the health insurance company and Pia was finally fitted with the exomotion® hand one...
She not only uses the hand orthosis every day, but her occupational therapist also includes the myoelectric hand orthosis in her therapy twice a week to practise everyday tasks.
Pia particularly likes the fact that she can do a lot of everyday tasks independently again and doesn't have to rely on help from other people. She doesn't find it difficult to put on and take off the hand orthosis or to operate and control it.
The best thing Pia has been able to do with the exomotion® hand one so far was drinking from a drinks can with friends. It took some practice, but when it worked, everyone was delighted.
In future, Pia would like to be able to zip up a zip on her own again and help family and friends with everyday tasks such as cooking, even without tools such as a multifunctional chopping board.
Claire has an arteriovenous malformation. Since she was 12 years old, she has been paralyzed on one side and can no longer use her right hand. Activities that require both hands are difficult for her, such as putting toothpaste on the toothbrush, opening the bottle, opening the door, keeping the dog on a leash, cutting bread, plugging and unplugging headphones, opening the wallet and taking out the debit card or money, as well as holding and signing paper.
Due to the one-sided load, the healthy half of the body is overstrained, as it cannot be spared, this leads to recurrent tennis elbow (epicondylitis) in Claire...
At the beginning of November 2023, Claire was fitted with exomotion® hand one, since then she has been aware of her hand more and has not forgotten the paralyzed side (reintegration). After each grip with the hand orthosis, this feeling becomes stronger. Using your hand again in everyday life to grasp and hold on to "little things" such as objects gives her back a lot of quality of life and makes her feel great. The first thing she did was to use the hand brace to Facetime and eat at the same time.
Due to various other illnesses, Claire is dependent on a gastric tube, which needs daily care, here too the task with the hand orthosis will be easier for her in the future...
Claire chose the exomotion® hand one because she is convinced of technical aids, she has several aids in use and liked to try out everything that could help her in everyday life. For Claire, the handling of the hand orthosis and the associated control unit was unusual at the beginning, it took about a week for her to get used to it and no longer have to look at the control unit to check the signal.
In the future, Claire wants to be able to feel and use both hands again, because she can't remember what it was like when her paralyzed hand was still healthy.
Helmut was on his way home from work on his motorcycle. Suddenly, everything happened very quickly and he had an accident. In the process, his brachial plexus ruptured - whereupon his left arm was paralyzed.
His left hand was paralyzed, and everyday activities that were once taken for granted became a major challenge. Helmut was on the verge of having his paralyzed hand amputated. Thanks to the exomotion® hand one, Helmut had an alternative. With his orthosis, he has found an impressive way back to more independence.
Helmut was provided with the exomotion® hand one in 2020. He can now go back to some of his favorite pastimes, such as tinkering with motorcycles and gardening. Even things in the household are easier for him with the hand orthosis.
Tatjana is 35 years old and suffered plexus paralysis in her left arm due to birth trauma. Due to this paralysis, she has severe restrictions in everyday life. Her left arm is difficult to move, her hand can't be opened to grasp things, and her fingertips feel is very poor. Due to the heavy strain on her healthy side, Tatjana is already feeling the first signs of wear and tear in her right arm.
Tatjana was fitted with the exomotion® hand one hand orthosis at the beginning of December 2022. For the first time in 35 years, Tatjana is able to hold on to objects such as a water bottle. It is also much easier for her to use a pepper mill now, as it now sits firmly in her hand and can be turned with the other hand...
Heavy pots are much easier to hold and, most importantly, carry. Ambidextrous activities in general are now finally possible for Tatjana. Tasks that used to be very cumbersome for Tatjana and therefore took a very long time, she can now do in half the time.
Tatjana got used to the exomotion® hand one very quickly. She herself says that the handling and operation of the myoelectric hand orthosis is very simple. For the future, she hopes that she will be able to clearly feel the relief of her healthy right arm and thus rule out possible health problems.
The coolest move with the hand brace so far was for Tatjana when she pinched her boyfriend's ear.
Elias has suffered left-sided paralysis due to a traumatic brain injury and thus limitations on the left side of his body. With the custom-made exomotion® passive hand fitting parts, Elias has been given a great solution for everyday life, which helps him to use his hand again despite his spasticity.
Before his treatment, his healthy right side of his body was put under a lot of strain. Elias did everyday things exclusively with his right hand and he had a hard time with two-handed activities.
In 2021, Elias was fitted with the hand orthosis, since then his right hand has been relieved by the use of the left hand in everyday life and ambidextrous activities can be carried out again. Elias particularly likes the future-oriented design of the hand orthosis.
Elias opted for the custom-made version with the exomotion® passive hand fitting parts and against a positioning orthosis because he wanted to use his hand for gripping in everyday life – this is not possible with a positioning orthosis.
Basically, Elias hand orthosis helps to open the fingers, which makes it easier to grasp and release objects. For example, he can perform gross motor movements such as opening doors, carrying baskets and bags, drinking from bottles/glasses, climbing and fine motor movements such as holding pens and buttons/controls.
Elias was able to get used to the hand brace very quickly, after less than two days putting it on, taking it off and using it became routine.
The best thing Elias has done with the hand brace so far is to be able to climb better and pour himself a drink into a glass and drink directly from it.
Thanks to the mechanical hand orthosis, it is possible for him to DJ – by using both hands. Without the aid, the pursuit of the hobby would not be possible.
Even at his wedding, the hand orthosis could not be missing.