An Exercise Assistive Device for People with Upper-limb Disability

Participation in physical activity is a crucial component of the rehabilitation process for people with disabilities. But for people with upper-limb disabilities who find it difficult or impossible to use their hands, reduced participation in resistance exercise training and other forms of exercise is often observed (Bragaru, 2011, et  al.). This is unfortunate because it is well recognized that participation in physical activity is associated with physiological, emotional, social, and psychological benefits (Pepper & Willick, 2009; Webster et al., 2001). To address these concerns, the Carter Cuff was recently developed by Carter Medical Devices. It is an armband designed to be worn by a person who uses a hand prosthesis or a person with impaired hand function. The armband allows for numerous pulling exercises that would otherwise be impossible and provides connection to exercise machines and free weights that would require the wearer to grasp a handle or moveable portion of the exercise machine with his or her hand.