@EmeraldEyes In addition to the daily routine jobs the restraint therapy includes working and timing yourself through a series of increasingly difficult dexterity tasks. It starts off for instance with stacking and unstacking wooden blocks 10 high, then the blocks get smaller until you can barely do it with your good hand. Lots of similar tasks with pegs, pickup sticks, rubber bands etc.
Walking around though I think it’s dangerous not to have your good hand ready. Having said that, I did have a fall to the left and used my affected arm (and knee) to stop me from hitting my head.
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ouch …good save with affected arm, @Strings
I wonder if there is an official / unofficial list of toys and tasks for dexterity / arm rehab ?
I’m particularly interested in objects that stimulate feeling in my hand
For example, I have a little bowl with a bunch of objects, a comb, feather, sandpaper, spikey ball, squidgy ball, 3 walnuts etc.
Also, does anyone know of a good simple app on windows to practise and measure the speed of typing (I’m on 8 words a minute with my affected hand) ?
ciao, Roland
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@pando the tasks are simple to replicate really, they involve easily available objects:
Wooden building blocks, large, smaller, smallest you can find. You could use plastic objects or anything stackable.
Lolly sticks down to cocktail sticks, pick them up, place them in a cup.
Screwtop jar, coffee jar would do. Screw the lid on and off.
Rubber bands, large to small, loose to tight. Pick them up, stretch them with your fingers, put them over your coffee jar.
Tokens, like gaming chips, pick them up, turn them over. Smaller ones, tiddly winks, and penny coins,
Clothes pegs, place them around the rim of your jar, remove them, then use tiny ones like you eould use to pin up Christmas cards.
Invent other similar fiddly tasks, the fiddlier the better. Use things like paper clips, little threaded objects. Affected hand texting and typing small to long sentences.
Time yourself doing ten repetitions, use your phone stopclock. The aim is to keep reducing the time until it’s the same as your good hand. Or best you can manage.
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@pando
What @Strings is describing is the content of the GRASP manual. It’s common for CIMT programs to incorporate it.
You really need both the home and hospital instructor grasp manuals to build your own program. You’ll need to sign up to download them.
I wouldn’t bother with the target sheet and personally logging and counting just made it more complicated and no more effective in my opinion.
Also strings I don’t think they’ve fully explained to you if from your description. The aim is for the therapist (or you:) ) to ratchet up the difficulty of the exercises as you prove yourself equal to ‘today’s regime’ so the difficulty stays about similar but the capability grows - This is described by the levels on early pages and the ECLIPSE acronym on page 10 of the hospital instructor guide.
Roland the participant guide describes an initial set of pegs & cups and things 
I too have a box of walnuts hazelnuts golf balls tennis balls dice etc etc. the task bank is circa 100 ideas like doing the laundry or washing up to involve the affected hand.
Mirror box theory is another topic - Roland you’ll find useful descriptions are on the phantom limb pain pages EG for amputees. its use for movement development in stroke is a adaptation that capitalises on the idea that visualisation causes neurological activities even without physical movement and that if the natural centre has been destroyed the brain will find another - hence neuroplasticity
Ciao
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@SimonInEdinburgh , I did mention that the tasks are made increasingly difficult, but I said it in my reply to emerald eyes, then Roland chipped in and I replied to him separately…ah the complexity of extended threads 
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Yes, Simon,
I’ve had a mirror box for over a year. I used it to stimulate feeling in my affected side. “Visualisation causes neurological activity” is exactly the idea behind how I use it, only I am not stimulating movement but feeling. Anyway, I have my routines but wanted to see a few examples of it in use, and invent more of my own. I spent a couple of hours yesterday, and felt I was getting somewhere with (and without) it.
ciao, Roland
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Afternoon, improved feeling and pain relief for me. On my weak hand, thumb and forefinger pretty good and gets worse from there. Little finger most tingly one of all.
It’s an odd feeling, putting my good hand alongside the mirror and seeing my left hand in the mirror pain free and sensation normal.
The exercises I have are for movement so for me, I am going to adapt them for touch.
Cheers
Nige
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I just did some mirror-box too, Nige
In fact I’m going to post a new thread with video (very improvised)
Thanks for the new. ciao, Roland
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Hi. It’s an amazing watercolour. I didn’t realise you had problems until I read the comments. Keep up the good work. I’m so lucky that I can still paint without dexterity problems since my stroke. It’s more my confidence that took a knock.
Very best wishes
Cynthia
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Thanks Cynthia,
Would you care to post one of your paintings?
My Sopwith Camel is watercolour n 14 since my stroke…
Before my stroke I painted watercolours for 10 years, but not very many, and not often
They’re mostly all here; I’m still getting to grips with medium specific techniques
ciao, Roland
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Hi Pando.
This is a first - posting pics. Bit stressful but managed!! The first pic was before stroke and second is currently half finished. Sorry they’re a bit squiff!!!
I’m with an arts group. I joined during Covid so didn’t personally meet everyone for 18 months or so. We used WhatsApp. (Still do in-between our weekly sessions.) Was doing ok until my stroke and it took me a while to stay put and not run away.
They’re a lovely group who think I’m a little mad - they thought that before my stroke!!! You’d prob appreciate the music they play - I rib the art teacher as he’s in a band too. He takes it well.
Your water colours are beautiful with a light technique. Glad you’re still able to paint.
Thanks for taking an interest.
Cynthia
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What a gifted man you are, Roland! I’ve just finished having a browse through all those beautiful watercolours on Flickr and will revisit them for sure.
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Hi Cynthia,
Really nice, thanks for posting,
It’s so nice to come across a different style, your paintings are great !
We’ll swap more, hopefully
ciao, Roland
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Thanks Trace,
I look at them and get frightened ; I had a looser style, which meant I was confident being loose. I hope I can get back to where I was , one day
thx again, ciao, Roland
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Had a look through yours Roland, it struck me that the style of some was very similar to the travel posters of the past, entice you to think it would be a nice place to visit
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I love these paintings. Very talented. I am a little envious as art skills most definitely passed me by x
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Thx Pando. I look forward to seeing more of your work. Hopefully I’ll get my real mojo back soon.
Onwards n upwards!!
Xx
Ps it’s still a bit confusing getting round the site!!
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@pando thats fantastic. Ive gone back to making model AFVs. Def improved my coordination as my issue is balance.
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