He is able to get the headphones on using just his "good" side. Here's how he does it: First an earpiece on the "good" side and then use the same hand to move the other over to his "bad" side ear.
Which do you think would be better? Which would be better in the short run? Which would be better in the long run?
In the short run it may be better to do it with just the "good" arm. It might be quicker, and take less effort.
But in the long run what would be the effect? First of all he'll never learn how to use both arms for that skill. Also, since he's only using the "good" side for that movement, all the other tasks that use similar movements would not be practiced. And a lot of things use that same movement (Brushing teeth and hair, shaving, feeding, etc.) So he'd have less practice specific to putting on headphones, and then less carryover of that task to other tasks.
But here's the funny part: There are a lot of therapists who believe that he should do it one-handed. The thinking is this: The movement needed to complete the task of both arms is "bad" movement.
But here's the funny part: There are a lot of therapists who believe that he should do it one-handed. The thinking is this: The movement needed to complete the task of both arms is "bad" movement.
And, so the thinking goes, the more "bad" movement that you use, the more that "bad" movement will be "ingrained". Like a bad habit.
This idea, that "bad" movement should not be encouraged always struck me strange on the face of it. This is the thinking: "The more you move the worse you'll get."
This idea, that "bad" movement should not be encouraged always struck me strange on the face of it. This is the thinking: "The more you move the worse you'll get."
But everything we know about the brain suggests exactly the opposite. The more you practice something the better you get.
There is a weird assumption that is made: You will never try to move better, you will only use the "bad" movement forevermore. The idea is, survivors don't know what good movement is. Because survivors don't know what good movement is, you need a therapist there to correct you. Which... I don't know about you... sounds like it'll cost you a lot of money.
But let's say they're right. Let's say that if you do the task with both arms you would never do it "correctly." Now you have a decision to make. Do you do it "incorrectly" for the rest of your life, or do you not try to use the "bad" arm?
It was me, I would make the decision to use the "bad" arm. Why? Well first of all I stand a much better chance of learning to move the "bad" side better if I use it in every day tasks... every day. Second, movements from one task can feed forward to other tasks that used similar movements. So I might retrain not just for one task, but for a whole bunch of tasks. Third, I don't let the whole portion of my brain "lie fallow" and not do anything. The brain hates not doing anything. The brain goes through what's called "a pruning of the dendritic arbor." It's a fancy way of saying "use it or lose it." If a portion of the brain is not used, the neurons in that part of the brain start to shrink -- or "prune."
But there's another important reason to use any movement you have. Maybe, at the "end of the day" the task remains awkward and uncoordinated. So what? How many people play golf, enjoy it, but don't play perfectly (all of us)? How many people ski, and enjoy it, and don't have perfect form? What about music, or painting, or writing...
There is a weird assumption that is made: You will never try to move better, you will only use the "bad" movement forevermore. The idea is, survivors don't know what good movement is. Because survivors don't know what good movement is, you need a therapist there to correct you. Which... I don't know about you... sounds like it'll cost you a lot of money.
But let's say they're right. Let's say that if you do the task with both arms you would never do it "correctly." Now you have a decision to make. Do you do it "incorrectly" for the rest of your life, or do you not try to use the "bad" arm?
It was me, I would make the decision to use the "bad" arm. Why? Well first of all I stand a much better chance of learning to move the "bad" side better if I use it in every day tasks... every day. Second, movements from one task can feed forward to other tasks that used similar movements. So I might retrain not just for one task, but for a whole bunch of tasks. Third, I don't let the whole portion of my brain "lie fallow" and not do anything. The brain hates not doing anything. The brain goes through what's called "a pruning of the dendritic arbor." It's a fancy way of saying "use it or lose it." If a portion of the brain is not used, the neurons in that part of the brain start to shrink -- or "prune."
But there's another important reason to use any movement you have. Maybe, at the "end of the day" the task remains awkward and uncoordinated. So what? How many people play golf, enjoy it, but don't play perfectly (all of us)? How many people ski, and enjoy it, and don't have perfect form? What about music, or painting, or writing...
Bart: You make me sick, Homer. You're the one that told me I could do anything if I just put my mind to it.
Homer: Well now that you're a little bit older I can tell you that's a crock. No matter how good you are at something, there's always about a million people better than you.
Bart: Gotcha. Can't win, don't try.
This is my suggestion: Continue trying to do everything. And every time you do it try to make it a little bit better.
By: "stroke recovery blog" "stroke blog"
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