arms and hands lab background

Arms + Hands Lab

Advance Human Ability™
The Arms + Hands Lab is a robust environment designed for patients and research participants working on recovering and strengthening complex hand and reaching skills — turning a key, picking up a pen, putting on a sweater … all the many things we do with our hands, arms and fingers.

The Harris Family Foundation Arms + Hands Lab spans two floors in the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (21-22), which are connected by a therapeutic, practical and graceful flight of stairs. In this Lab patients, doctors and researchers work on advancing hand function and movement, body and upper-limb coordination, strength, reaching and hand control (including individual finger manipulation). Therapeutic care and scientific interventions include one-on-one and group therapeutic activities.

State-of-the-art research methods and approaches in this Lab include experimental electromyography, movement analysis, kinetic analysis, biomechanics, sensor technologies, brain and/or other imaging, brain physiology, musculoskeletal physiology, experimental biologics, experimental pharmacotherapeutics, and emerging technologies and use of smart devices.

Recent Research Projects

One of our patients said it best: "If I could just move my thumb again, my whole life would change." Our scientists are focused on leveraging therapy and technology to help patients meet their goals.

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Collaborative Machines Enhancing Therapies (COMET)

The Collaborative Machines Enhancing Therapies center brings together four research and development projects aimed at improving how patients move.

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Photographs of FCU-to-EDU

Intraoperative Hand Measurements

Restoring function and correcting joint deformities.

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spinal cord injury stimulation study

Neuromodulation Research Study

Participate in a novel research study at the Shirley Ryan Abilitylab to improve the function of your muscles after a spinal cord injury.

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By The Numbers

The Arms + Hands lab is singularly focused on improving functionality of arms, hands and fingers. Check out some of the numbers that make this space so special.

  • 26K

    The square footage of the Arms + Hands Lab on floors 21 & 22 of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. In this space, you'll find our engineers and clinical staff collaborating around unique devices like the Armeo, which is designed to improve coordination.

  • 56

    The number of steps in the staircase connecting the two floors of this Lab. This powerful tool for improving human movement is equipped with an antigravity lift track supporting patients' weight.

  • 21

    The floor that houses the Medical Education Suite, home base for the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency Program.