✋ Why an Open-Palm Glove Is Good for Rehabilitation

(Sensory Input, Hand Activation, and Neuroplasticity)

The design of the L-shaped glove, which leaves the palm exposed, offers unique benefits for individuals in neurological rehabilitation. It supports hand positioning without covering the skin, allowing the user to maintain direct sensory contact with the ground, mat, or equipment — a key element in restoring motor control and sensory integration.

✅ 1. Bare Palm Contact Enhances Sensory Feedback

Tactile stimulation through the palm is critical for activating mechanoreceptors and stimulating the somatosensory cortex. The palm is dense with sensory receptors — especially for pressure, texture, and vibration — and plays a major role in body awareness and movement accuracy.

🧾 Johansson, R. S., & Flanagan, J. R. (2009). "Coding and use of tactile signals from the fingertips in object manipulation tasks." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(5), 345–359.

🧾 Mountcastle, V. B. (2005). "The sensory hand: Neural mechanisms of somatic sensation." Harvard University Press.

✅ 2. Supports Active Use of the Hand in Functional Tasks

Instead of immobilizing or padding the hand, the glove allows the user to actively bear weight, push, and engage the fingers and palm, promoting motor activation. This is crucial in stroke and brain injury rehab, where "learned non-use" of the affected limb can delay recovery.

🧾 Taub, E., Uswatte, G., & Pidikiti, R. (1999). "Constraint-induced movement therapy: a new family of techniques with broad application to physical rehabilitation—a clinical review." Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 36(3), 237–251.

✅ 3. Encourages Neuroplasticity Through Sensory-Motor Integration

Direct palm contact with the surface during exercises like yoga, push-ups, or crawling provides multisensory input (touch + pressure + motion), which enhances sensorimotor integration — a driver of neuroplasticity and functional recovery.

🧾 Lotze, M., & Cohen, L. G. (2006). "Volition and imagery in neurorehabilitation." Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 19(3), 135–140.

✅ 4. Promotes Proprioception and Body Awareness

Open contact helps the user feel pressure shifts, weight distribution, and joint angles in real time — all of which support proprioceptive accuracy and balance.

🧾 Shumway-Cook, A., & Woollacott, M. H. (2016). "Motor Control: Translating Research into Clinical Practice."

🔁 Summary

The open-palm glove isn’t just supportive — it’s therapeutically smart. It helps:

Maintain sensory input through the palm
Encourage active use of the affected hand
Stimulate the brain through sensorimotor feedback
Reinforce proper hand placement during movement
Support neuroplasticity and recovery