Immediate and Sustained Effects of Contralateral Handgrip Exercise on Hand Edema in Patients with Stroke

BackgroundHand edema is a common post-stroke complication that negatively affects function and quality of life. However, interventions for hand edema remain limited.ObjectiveIn this study, we investigated whether contralateral resistance handgrip exercises performed with the non-paretic hand could immediately and sustainably reduce hand edema in patients with stroke.MethodsThis study used a B-A-B single-case design to explore the effects of the intervention in inpatients more than 3 months post-stroke. During the two 8-day intervention phases, the participants performed rhythmic handgrip exercises at 30% of the maximum voluntary contraction for 5 min daily as part of their occupational therapy sessions. A baseline phase without intervention was interposed. The hand volume was measured by using water displacement before and after exercise sessions to assess immediate and sustained effects.ResultsFour inpatients with paretic hand edema (93-110 days poststroke) participated in this study. Contralateral handgrip exercise resulted in immediate reduction in paretic hand edema in three of the four patients; however, only one patient showed a sustained effect. The intervention was simple and feasible, with responses varying across individuals.ConclusionsThis small single-case study suggests that contralateral handgrip exercise may contribute to reducing hand edema in some patients; however, its sustained benefits remain uncertain. This low-cost approach may serve as a candidate adjunct intervention in rehabilitation, particularly when paretic limb movements are limited. However, given the exploratory nature of this small single-case study, further investigation with larger samples and more rigorous designs is warranted.