[7][8] Rehabilitation using robotics is generally well tolerated by patients, and has been found to be an effective adjunct to therapy in individuals with motor impairments, especially due to stroke.
Rehabilitation robotics can be considered a specific focus of biomedical engineering, and a part of human-robot interaction.
[citation needed] Rehabilitation robotics was introduced two decades ago for patients who have neurological disorders.
[10] These robots must keep up with a human and their movement, therefore in the making of the machine the makers need to be sure that it will be consistent with the progress of the patient.
[citation needed] Over the years the number of rehabilitation robotics has grown but they are very limited due to the clinical trials.
In the process of a recovery the rehabilitation robot is unable to understand the patient's needs like a well experienced therapist would.
Rehabilitation robotics are very popular with people who have had a stroke because the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation method is applied.
[10] The pneumatic robot helps people who have had strokes or any other illness that has caused a disorder with their upper limb[12] A 2018 review on the effectiveness of mirror therapy by virtual reality and robotics for any type of pathology concluded that: 1) Much of the research on second-generation mirror therapy is of very low quality; 2) Evidence-based rationale to conduct such studies is missing; 3) It is not relevant to recommend investment by rehabilitation professionals and institutions in such devices.
Often robotic technologies attempt to leverage the principles of neuroplasticity by improving quality of movement, and increasing the intensity and repetition of the task.
[14] Though stroke has been the focus of most studies due to its prevalence in North America,[7] rehabilitation robotics can also be applied to individuals (including children) with cerebral palsy,[4] or those recovering from orthopaedic surgery.
[14] An additional benefit to this type of adaptive robotic therapy is a marked decrease in spasticity and muscle tone in the affected arm.