Sensory Re-Education Home Exercises

Loss of sensation and numbness or tingling of the affected arm, leg, and face is a common symptoms after stroke. 

Sensory Re-Education Home Exercises:

  • Using a soft-bristled brush or a surgical scrub brush, use deep pressure to brush your arm from shoulder to fingertips and then fingertips to shoulder. Repeat brushing a second time using a lighter stroke. Repeat brushing a third time using an even lighter stroke.
  • Perform weight-bearing activities through your affected arm or hand on a scale. Propping on your elbow or hand through the scale.
  • The SaeboStim Micro provides sensory electrical stimulation (SES) to the arm and hand using a specialized Electro-Mesh Garment. https://www.saebo.com/shop/saebostim-micro/ 
  • Try to differentiate between textures (i.e. cotton, sandpaper, satin, velcro, rubber, velvet, wool, etc.)
  • Hide objects such as marbles, coins, etc. in a bowl of rice/dry beans/sand. Without using vision, try to find the objects with your hand.
  • Have another person touch you on one spot with your eyes open, then with your eyes closed. Try to associate where you saw object touch your skin to how it felt on your skin.
  • Have another person keep pressure still on your skin then move it around. Watch and pay attention how it feels. Close eyes and try to identify when the pressure is still versus when it is moving.
  • Close your eyes and have a person apply vibration to your skin via a massager. See if you can identify when the vibration is applied to the skin. Have the person move the vibration around and see if you can tell when it is still versus moving around on your skin.
  • Have someone place different objects in your hand while you are looking (i.e. cotton ball, marble, key, paper clip). Close your eyes and then try to identify objects as they are placed in your hand again one at a time.
  • Fill a flexible paper cup (i.e. Dixie cup) half full with water. Attempt to grasp cup without spilling the water or smashing the cup. Use your vision to determine how much pressure you are putting on the cup (i.e. if cup is slipping out of hand, apply more pressure; if cup is squeezed to hard, lessen grip)
  • Repeat exercise with paper cup above but now move the cup from one spot to another maintaining a steady, even grasp (not too tight, not too loose)
  • Have another person apply cold and or warmth to your skin and see if you can detect temperature differences.
  • Feel an object then try to find a matching object inside bowl of dry beans or rice.
  • Close eyes and have someone else position your affected arm. See if you can tell what position your arm is in (i.e. my elbow is bent) then open your eyes to see what position it is in.

Reference: https://www.stroke-rehab.com/sensory-re-education.htmlur

Page last updated 7/2023