OT Potential Podcast | Occupational Therapy CEUs #126 Neuro Recovery After Stroke with Henry Hoffman
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Jan 30, 2026 Henry Hoffman, MS OTR/L, co-founder of SABO and inventor of rehab tools like the SableFlex and SableGlide. He discusses prioritizing recovery over compensation. Short, high-repetition, task-specific practice and sensory-rich feedback are highlighted. Practical strategies for limited-resource clinicians and approaches for patients with trace movement are covered.
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How The Sabo Glide Was Invented
- Henry Hoffman invented the Sabo Glide by adapting a rowing oar sleeve for a patient with hemiparesis to enable controlled shoulder movement from gravity-eliminated to against-gravity.
- That prototype led to founding SABO and later the SaboFlex to progress hand function when many patients didn't qualify for CIMT.
SaboFlex Born From CIMT Limitations
- While Burke ran CIMT, Henry realized ~80% of callers didn't qualify because they lacked wrist/finger extension, which inspired the SaboFlex orthosis to enable grasp-release practice.
- The SaboFlex let more patients do CIMT-like training at home without therapist-assisted finger prying.
Adult Brain Is Softwired Not Hardwired
- The adult brain is softwired and reorganizes based on behavior, overturning the old idea that adult brains are fixed.
- Merzenich's work showed experience-driven cortical remapping is the mechanism behind relearning after stroke.
