Supporting Hand Rehabilitation and Making Life Impact – Real Stories from Madglove Users

Glove user with the glove on, happy to see that it helps with hand rehabilitation

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common non-traumatic disabling diseases affecting young adults today, amounting to over one million people in Europe alone. Despite this, there is still no consensus on the exact cause.

What is MS?

Our nerves are covered with a sheath, called myelin, that allows us to transmit information efficiently. MS is the loss of this myelin sheath. More specifically, it is an autoimmune disorder where a person’s immune system attacks the healthy tissue. Similarly to how an electric cable has a protective coating to avoid signal loss, it is necessary for our nerves to have this protective sheath to enable the proper transmission of information.

Unlike cerebral palsy or strokes, MS is non-traumatic, and the cause is still debated upon. What we do know is that MS is most commonly diagnosed in young individuals between 20 and 40 years and the most prevalent symptoms individuals will experience are:

Pain
Fatigue
Reduced mobility
Cognitive dysfunction

While the exact cause has yet to be determined, there is mounting evidence for both genetic and environmental factors.

In regards to environmental factors, studies have found that the prevalence of MS is higher the further north people live. This is accredited to vitamin D deficiencies associated with less sunlight. Naturally produced vitamine D is believed to improve immune function and thus help protect against autoimmune diseases. Beyond this, MS has been associated with viral infections (Epstein-Barr virus), obesity and smoking.

Treatment

There is currently no cure for MS, but various treatment options are available to manage symptoms and slow disease progression.Fortunately, a lot of research is being done to both identify exact causes of MS and to find the best treatment plans. These include disease-modifying therapies such as interferons, glatiramer acetate, and oral medications such as fingolimod, teriflunomide, and dimethyl fumarate, which work by modulating immune system function. Symptomatic treatments include corticosteroids for acute relapses, muscle relaxants for spasticity, and antidepressants for mood disorders. Rehabilitation therapies such as physical and occupational therapy can also help manage symptoms and improve quality-of-life.

Diseases similar to MS

MS is the most common autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system, but not the only one. In recent years, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-antibody disease (MOGAD) have been identified as distinct disorders different from MS. Proper identification of these diseases is vital for proper treatment plans and interventions. The most relevant distinguishing factors identified by the MS nurse pro blog are listed in the table below.

	MS	NMOSD	MOGAD
Commonly affected age	20–40	30–50	0–40
Sex (female:male)	2–3:1	9:1	1:1
Ethnicity	Any, mostly Caucasian	Any, African-American and Asian at higher risk	Any, unclear ethnic differences
Disease course	Relapsing (85%) or progressive from onset (15%); secondary progression can develop in relapsing form	Relapsing (>95%); progressive course extremely rare	Relapsing (50%) or monophasic (50%); progressive course is rare
Recovery from attacks	Generally good	Often incomplete, leading to permanent CNS damage	Generally good despite severe attacks
Key symptoms	Often fatigue or cognitive impairment	Severe vision impairment	Vision impairment, often with better recovery than in NMOSD
Area postrema syndrome	Rare	Sometimes seen	Rare
Encephalopathy	Rare	Rare	Sometimes seen
AQP4	AQP4 antibody seronegative	AQP4 antibody seropositive

Advocacy

There are MS platforms around the world looking for members, donations and are there to provide information to anyone wanting to learn more. At Madglove, we are enthusiastic about creating and being part of communities such as these. Below are some of the larger MS platforms around the world:

The Journey to Independence – A New Path of Hand Rehabilitation

Why a hand rehabilitation tool, you might ask? It is estimated that one in four people will experience a stroke in their lifetime, with the likelihood of occurrence only rising. The consequences of a stroke often affect hand mobility, reducing the ability to perform even the simplest daily tasks and consequently decreasing independence that is crucial for everyday life.

Despite the increasing prevalence of strokes, the rehabilitation process and its efficiency remain stagnant. Taking this into account, our CEO Madalina, along with co-founders Cara, Tobi, David, and Sitah, decided to dedicate their knowledge and previous scientific experience to create Madglove—a simple, easy-to-use rehabilitation glove that empowers patients to actively participate in their own rehabilitation journey.

Independence has always been a key motivation for us. Our goal was to create a tool that is simple and easy to use on its own, without any external help, fostering independence while supporting and improving hand mobility through seamless integration into daily life. Our rehabilitation glove helps users regain the ability to perform daily tasks without needing extra support from loved ones or caretakers, allowing them to bring back life fulfillment by returning to their passions and hobbies.

Glove user playing the guitar with disabled hand with a glove on.

Enhancing Life Quality, Transforming Daily Lives, and Taking Charge of Your Own Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is not just about supporting hand mobility; it’s about transforming the quality of life. It’s about people and the impact we can make through our work. This focus has always been, and will continue to be, our driving force at Madglove.

The stories of our glove testers encourage us every day. Seeing the changes and improvements in their quality of life, alongside the usual consequences of rehabilitation, and witnessing the true, valuable reactions of our users are irreplaceable experiences. For instance, enabling one of our testers to return to his passion—playing guitar—was such an honor for us. You can witness his journey yourself in this video. See our glove in action

One heartwarming testimonial we received after a testing session exemplifies the impact we strive for: “At Madglove, I felt welcomed, I felt free, and I felt good. While wearing the glove, I could pick up things which I couldn’t do for the last 12/13 years. It works! I thought it couldn’t be true, but it is! I am happy! The glove can support me. I think the glove can increase my quality of life.” She even mentioned that after the session, she almost cried because of the experience. You can listen to the full testimonial here!

These stories lie at the core of Madglove—people, their lives, and their stories. There is no better feeling for us, the Madglove team, than hearing such encouraging words and knowing we can actually impact individuals’ lives and help them in their journey toward independence and a fulfilling life.

However, the work we do would not be possible without our incredible community and partners, to whom we are immensely grateful. Together, we can create change and strive every day towards our mission: to make disability just another aspect of diversity and support daily independence for a better, more joyful life.

At Madglove,, we are dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities through innovative rehabilitation solutions. Our core values—empowerment, independence, and quality of life—drive us to co-create with our users and prioritize their needs. The stories of our users inspire us daily and affirm the impact of our work.

We are grateful for the support of our community as we continue our mission to redefine disability and promote independence. By embracing diversity and focusing on the individual, we strive to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to live a fulfilled and joyful life.

Madglove is more than just a rehabilitation tool; it is a beacon of hope and empowerment. Our journey is driven by the belief that every individual deserves the chance to improve their daily independence and enjoy a high quality of life. Join us in our mission to make a lasting impact and transform lives, one glove at a time.

++ Market launch in April 2025 ++