Therapists/Professionals

Interested in how our products are used in rehab and in day-to-day life? It’s all here from recovery post-stroke and spinal cord injury to day-to-day household tasks & learning to drum!

A Promise to Fight – Stéphane’s story

Man gives a thumbs up from his recumbent bike.

“This is where Active Hands changed my life. The whole body can be worked confidently: the pectorals, arms, shoulders, back… I have access to machines safely. I can use dumbells, do pull-ups, the cable machine… and I know that I have other possibilities too.” 55 year old Stéphane lives in a small town in the South West of France in a house he shares with a friend. He describes himself optimistic, ambitious and stubborn… character traits that have proved to be hugely important in overcoming setbacks and tackling challenges in his adventurous life. 25 years ago, while working as a…

We have recently been in contact with Helen, a young lady from South Wales, whose life was turned upside down when a rare condition suddenly, and without warning, left her paralysed. She spoke honestly and openly to us about her initial feelings of despair, how she turned these feelings around, and how her positivity (along with a few handy gripping aids) is helping her reclaim her life and her independence. This is Helen’s story… As a young adult, Helen had always led an active life; enjoying both playing and coaching a variety of sports, socialising with friends, travelling, and generally…

Eight weeks into lockdown here in the UK and life seems to be settling into a bit of a routine. In some ways, I have been trying to recreate things I’d normally be doing in the outside world using new technology… work, training, catching up with friends. At other times, I’ve been discovering the benefits of slowing down, staying in and taking up a new hobby or two (in amongst chasing after my two children, who are keeping things… interesting!). One thing I have rediscovered for certain is that having the right tools alongside me enables me to get on with life with much greater independence and,…

In many countries of the world, people are now in complete ‘lockdown’, only able to leave their homes when completely essential. In addition, increasing numbers of people are needing to self-isolate for 14 days due to symptoms of coronavirus. As a result, it may be that those of us who rely on carers could find days when they cannot make it in to work. Whether you are facing this challenge, or simply finding that more time at home has made it clear just how frustrating some daily tasks can be, we have put together some of our best products to…

When Norma suffered a stroke, it affected the entire left side of her body, greatly reducing the strength and mobility in her arm and hand.

prize winner of a General Purpose gripping aid

Active Hands is proud to support a variety of charities, individuals and events in a number of ways. We understand all too well how a little help, at just the right time, can make the world of difference to someone. So when we were contacted back in May 2017 by Victoria Proctor, we were only too happy to help with her idea. Victoria runs the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute. At that time, the institute ran a monthly support group for former SCI patients. Wanting to do something special for this group, Victoria…

Towards the end of the summer we were contacted by Emily, a personal trainer living in Pensacola, Florida. Emily works for a small, non-profit gym called The 7 Project which caters specifically for clients who have physical disabilities; focussing on enhancing their day to day quality of life via fitness, nutrition and support. Emily told us how the organisation’s founder had discovered Active Hands after her injury, how our recently donated selection of gripping aids were now being used every day by clients at the gym and how she sees The 7 Project expanding in the future. This is their…

Lewis in gym with General Purpose aid holding free weight

We were recently contacted by Lewis, a 26 year old fitness enthusiast from Romford, Essex; whose life over the past 12 years has been a rollercoaster ride of physical and emotional highs and lows. He spoke to us in depth about his condition, the depression that initially came with it, and how discovering Active Hands not only helped him overcome some of these challenges, but also allowed him to embark upon his dream career. This is his story… All his life, Lewis has been passionate about sports and keeping fit. As a child he competed in as many sports as…

Towards the end of last year we were thrilled to announce the launch of the Small Item gripping aid; a versatile and simple solution for gripping small items such as toothbrushes, pens, art equipment, make up brushes and much more. Simply fasten whatever item you wish into the plastic clamp on the palm pad, pop on the glove and away you go! Last year, Brenda was one of the first people to try out and give us feedback on this new aid. She was very excited about it and had been using it to hold everything from pens to paintbrushes,…

Winter sports gripping aid being used on sit ski. Suitable for reduced hand function: tetra, quad, cerebral palsy, SCI, spinal cord injury, stroke and more.

As the days get shorter and colder, we’re all looking for ways to make our lives simpler. Here at Active Hands we’ve scoured through ‘lifehacks’ for poor hand function and now we can proudly say we stock more than 25 of the best products we’ve come across, as well as our own brilliant gripping aids. We love those little things which make life easier, and we know that Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists love to visit our online shop for all their clients’ gripping needs! So, here we’ve ranked our top 10 winter disability ‘lifehack’ products: 1) Socks with loops –…