A New Everyday Life after Stroke
Kjeld Böge is 25 years old and lives in Dassendorf, Schleswig-Holstein. His life changed dramatically in November 2017 after a serious motorcycle accident, which triggered a stroke with far-reaching consequences. The diagnosis: hemiparesis of the left side of his body, with his left arm and especially his hand most affected. The paralysis mainly manifests itself in a lack of active hand opening. Since then, Kjeld has been unable to grip or precisely hold objects with his left hand. Severe spasticity still allows the hand to close, but without his own will or control. This causes immense restrictions in daily life wherever two hands are needed: whether eating, working, or during leisure activities.
First steps in rehabilitation
In the months following his accident, Kjeld underwent rehabilitation at the BG Klinikum Hamburg “Boberg”. There, his care team introduced him to innovative orthopedic aids especially designed for people with hand paralysis after a stroke. For patients with distally accentuated plegia or paresis of the upper limb, there are rarely solutions that provide more than just maintaining the current muscle condition or preventing deterioration. For Kjeld, gaining real functional ability stood at the center of his interest.
That was when he first heard of the exomotion® hand one – a myoelectric hand orthosis developed by HKK Bionics, which can support grip function through targeted muscle activation. For people with non-functional grasp, this opens the perspective of actively reintegrating the affected arm into everyday actions and regaining participation in normal life. Kjeld chose the orthosis, and a targeted screening was performed by the Stolle medical supply store. Their specialist consultants tailored the orthosis exactly to Kjeld’s needs and made individual adjustments. Fine-tuning and control setup took place in close cooperation on site to achieve optimal function. Since August 2024, he has consistently been using the exomotion® hand one in everyday life, relying on the active control.
More freedom in everyday life
His daily life has fundamentally changed: board games with family, bimanual activities at work, and daily tasks involving carrying, holding, and moving objects are possible again. What is particularly important for him is that rehabilitation is no longer synonymous with stagnation, but with improvement of grip function. Hand paralysis after stroke does not have to be the last word – with the exomotion® hand one, new opportunities for applying and improving grip function in daily life can open up.
Rediscovering Everyday Life: Kjeld’s Personal Progress with the exomotion® hand one
After the motorcycle accident in 2017, daily challenges with hand paralysis after stroke were ever-present for Kjeld. His left hand was barely usable. Simple things that had previously been taken for granted now involved significant effort or were outright impossible. Especially the lack of functional grasp in everyday life led him to perform many tasks one-handed or not at all. This increased his dependence on others and often resulted in frustration. exomotion® hand one marked a decisive turning point.
Concrete Improvements thanks to exomotion® hand one
With the exomotion® hand one hand orthosis, Kjeld can now resume activities that had previously been out of reach for him. Especially in daily life, the hand orthosis proves to be an indispensable support. He grasps and holds bottles, carries objects, or plays board games with his family – all of this is now possible again with both hands. The hand paralysis after the stroke, which had restricted him in many areas of life for years, is now effectively compensated for through consistent use of the orthosis. Kjeld actively participates in family life again and experiences new successes from his own efforts.
Improvements are also noticeable at work, not just in his private life. Larger or unwieldy objects, which he could hardly grip with just one hand, can now be safely handled thanks to the exomotion® hand one hand orthosis. At work, for example, he holds bottles in position with his left hand while opening them with his right.
His personal highlight with the orthosis:
“I was able to put the big logs back onto the chopping block while chopping wood”
– a milestone that means real independence and quality of life for him.
The orthosis doesn’t just provide support in daily life, it also promotes improvement of his motor skills, as he regularly activates the affected muscles.
Decision for exomotion® hand one: Everyday Practicality Counts
The decision to go with exomotion® hand one was an easy one for Kjeld. Compared to other aids, it offers decisive advantages. Many other products focus only on preventing deterioration, without offering any real, functional grip for everyday use. exomotion® hand one, on the other hand, enables him to actively participate in daily life and opens up new paths towards a self-determined life despite hand paralysis after stroke. With the help of active control, Kjeld can purposefully trigger movements, opening and closing his hand as needed.
Easy to Use in Daily Life
Kjeld finds exomotion® hand one particularly easy to use. After just a short familiarization period, he confidently handles the active control feature. For him, this intuitive suitability for daily use is especially important, as it lowers barriers and increases motivation.
His goal remains: to eventually be able to work on his motorcycle with both hands again.
To achieve this, he regularly trains with the hand orthosis and gradually develops the necessary skills. The hope of one day regaining the ability to perform complex manual tasks bimanually once more continues to drive him.
New Perspectives on Independence and Quality of Life with exomotion® hand one
The long-term effects of using exomotion® hand one go far beyond just immediate daily support for Kjeld. Daily activation of the affected hand and integration into various activities lead to both fine and gross motor skills improving step by step. For patients with hand paralysis after a stroke, this assistive device can be critical to regaining long-term independence.
exomotion® hand one positions itself as a unique medical device that can offer real added value in everyday life, create new routines, and build self-confidence. With each success – whether carrying, gripping, playing, or simply handling everyday objects – motivation to continue practicing grows. For many affected individuals, this can be the beginning of a more self-determined life, where hand paralysis after stroke no longer stands in the foreground as an insurmountable obstacle, but rather forms a manageable background condition.
For patients with similar problems, a new perspective on rehabilitation and participation after severe neurological events opens up. Kjeld’s experiences make it clear: with targeted provision and active application, daily life after a stroke can become richer, more self-determined, and more fulfilling again.
Conclusion: Shaping Daily Life Together with exomotion® hand one
Kjeld’s story impressively demonstrates how an active, self-determined daily routine is once again possible despite hand paralysis after stroke. But Kjeld is not the only one finding new paths with exomotion® hand one: Claire, Tatjana, Helmut, and Elias also share their personal experiences and the new opportunities that this assistive device opens up for them every day.