Physical Therapy for Stroke Recovery
Quick Summary
Are you looking for a way to recover from a stroke? Or do you want to know the benefits of physical therapy for stroke recovery? Or is your question “
How to recover from a stroke quickly?” No need to worry. We have prepared a detailed blog on physical therapy for stroke recovery that will answer all of your questions. Let’s explore.
Stroke is a life-threatening condition that takes months for you to recover from it. Physical therapy plays an important role in patients’ lives to help them recover from it and get back to their day-to-day lives. Stroke can happen due to either blockage in blood vessels due to fat buildup or rupture of the blood vessels. In both cases, brain tissues are deprived of important nutrients and oxygen. Let’s understand how physical therapy can help in your stroke rehabilitation.
What is Stroke?
Stroke is a medical condition where blood flow in the brain is disturbed due to blockage in or rupture of blood vessels. This disturbance of blood flow deprives the brain of oxygen and other micronutrients because of this the brain cells die and cause long-term neurological damage or neurological disability. When a person suffers from stroke, he/she loses control over his/her body making it difficult to walk, stand, or perform daily activities. Also known as Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), it becomes life-threatening in many cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 million people suffer a stroke every year out of which 5 million die and 5 million become permanently disabled. There are two types of stroke: Ischemic Stroke and Hemorrhagic Stroke.
Ischemic Stroke: It is the most common type of stroke that happens because of a disturbance in blood flow due to blockage of blood vessels. Blood clots or buildup of fatty deposits (arteriosclerosis) in the blood vessel cause these blockages. According to multiple online surveys, out of 100 people suffering from stroke 87 have Ischemic stroke.
Hemorrhagic Stroke: Another type is Hemorrhagic stroke, it happens when the blood vessel in the brain ruptures and the blood flow is disturbed. This stroke harms our brain in two ways first – not allowing the oxygen and other nutrients to reach the brain tissues and second, the blood leaking from the ruptured part damages the surrounding tissue. Mostly hemorrhagic stroke happens due to high blood pressure.
Strokes do not happen all of a sudden but have certain symptoms that might help you determine whether it is a stroke or not. If you have any of the following symptoms then you should seek medical help as soon as possible.
- A sudden weakness on the one side of the body including arms, legs, and face.
- Not being able to walk properly.
- Headache with no cause
- Loss of consciousness, seizures, and confusion without any known cause.
- Suddenly losing the ability to balance or coordinate
- Blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Trouble in speaking and understanding
How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Stroke?
Stroke rehabilitation is really important to regain independence and functionality and that’s why it should not be rushed. There are many factors that influence the time an individual takes to recover from a stroke. These factors include age, how much of the brain is affected by stroke, severity of stroke, which part of the brain is affected by stroke, individuals’ health before the stroke, motivation, quality, and quantity of their rehabilitation program, and various medical conditions. However, according to research, it takes 3-6 months to recover from a stroke and according to the Journal of Neurophysiology, in many cases, patients can still see improvements even after 12 months of the stroke.
Benefits of Physical Therapy in Stroke Recovery
There are many ways to recover from stroke and one of them is physical therapy. As we already know patients who suffer from stroke lose their control over their body affecting their ability to do basic activities. Here physical therapy for stroke patients is a non-invasive way that helps them regain control over their body after a stroke. It also offers a wide range of benefits. Let’s take a look at the benefits offered.
Reduced Risk of Falling
When a person suffers a stroke, one of the first things affected is his/her ability to balance and remain stable. Physical therapy after a stroke helps them regain their balance and stability, reducing their risk of falling and getting injured with the help of a wide range of exercises and assessment tools.
More Independence
Just like every other condition, stroke also leaves you dependent on others for basic activities like walking, brushing, sitting, standing, eating, etc. With the help of physical therapy, therapists help you regain your ability to perform daily activities and become independent.
Enhances Mobility
We know that stroke mostly affects one side of the body making it hard for patients to move freely. The mobility of a patient after a stroke is affected significantly. Physical therapy after a stroke helps them improve their mobility through different rehabilitation techniques, mobility aids, training, etc.
Strengthens Muscles
Muscle weakness is a major problem in patients who have suffered a stroke which makes them dependent on others. Here, physical therapy with specially designed strength training for different individuals based on their medical condition, age, and other factors helps patients strengthen their muscles.
Improves Coordination
As we already read, loss of coordination is one of the symptoms of stroke. The coordination remains affected after the stroke which makes eating, drinking, walking, or doing other day-to-day activities challenging. Physical therapy helps patients improve coordination through various exercises including various exercises, therapies, and functional training.
Recovers Cognitive Abilities
When you have a stroke you lose your cognitive abilities like attention, problem-solving, memory, communication, understanding, and more. With the help of various training and techniques like dual-task training, focusing techniques, obstacle course navigation, etc physical therapy recovers cognitive abilities.
Enhances Mental Well-being
Mental well-being is very necessary for treatments to work effectively and get patients back to their normal lives as soon as possible. Many patients who suffer a stroke lose self-esteem and confidence. Physical therapy with a focus on achieving goals can restore their self-esteem and confidence. This proves that stroke recovery is not only a physical journey but a mental one too.
What Does Physical Therapy for Stroke Include?
Stroke rehabilitation involves various treatment methods such as medications, diagnostics, consultation, etc. One of the most important parts of stroke rehabilitation is physical therapy. Physical abilities that were affected due to stroke are recovered using various physical therapy methods. Some of them are mentioned below.
Motor-Skill Exercises
Stroke affects motor skills like balancing, coordination, walking, swallowing, etc. Motor-skill exercises can help you regain these basic skills and abilities. These exercises make sure you become independent by the end of the rehabilitation.
Mobility Training
After a stroke muscles lose strength, balance, stability, and coordination which makes them more prone to other injuries. Mobility training is an inseparable part of physical therapy that helps you regain mobility through a walker, cane, ankle brace, wheelchair, and more.
Range of Motion Therapy
After a stroke muscles not only lose strength but also flexibility making them more stiff. The stiffness increases the frequency of muscle spasms in different parts of the body. Range of motion therapy can help you regain your flexibility and improve functionality.
Therapy for Cognitive Symptoms
We all know memory is severely affected by a stroke. However, it also affects understanding, problem-solving, judgments, social skills, and more. With the help of occupational and speech therapy, you can regain your cognitive skills.
Physical Therapy Exercises for Stroke Recovery
As we already know physical therapy plays a crucial role in stroke rehabilitation. It not only improves the affected physical abilities but also enhances the effectiveness of the medications speeding up the recovery process. Therapists combine various physical therapy exercises with treatment methods to improve the results. Here we will see some of the best exercises for stroke recovery and how to perform them.
1. Knee Extensions
How to Perform:
- Sit straight on a chair.
- Extend your left leg to straighten the knee.
- Contract your quadriceps (thigh muscles).
- Hold that position for 3 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat the same with your right leg.
- Do this exercise 10 times with each leg.
2. Seated Marching
How to Perform:
- Sit straight on a chair.
- Relax yourself.
- Lift your left leg and put it down gently.
- Then lift your right leg and put it down gently.
- Perform this exercise like you are marching while sitting.
- Do this exercise for 10 to 30 seconds.
- Perform 3 sets of this exercise with a 10 to 30-second break between sets.
3. Knee to Chest
How to Perform:
- Lie on the back on a stable surface or the floor.
- Bring your right knee towards your chest gently.
- Hold that position for 3 to 7 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Switch to the left knee and repeat the same.
- Do this exercise 10 to 20 times based on your comfort.
4. Hand Squeezes
How to Perform:
- Sit in a comfortable position.
- Grab a softball in your left hand.
- Squeeze it for 10 seconds.
- Switch hands and repeat the same.
- Perform this exercise 3 to 5 times twice a day.
5. Shoulder Shrugs
How to Perform:
- Stand or sit on an armless chair comfortably.
- Relax your arms on your sides.
- Slowly lift your shoulders towards your ear.
- Hold that position for 3 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat the same 20 to 30 times.
- Do this exercise twice a day.
6. Wall Sits
How to Perform:
- Stand with your back against the wall.
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slowly slide down the wall until your knees are bent at 90 degrees.
- Hold that position for 3 to 7 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Do this exercise 10 to 15 times.
7. Calf Stretch
How to Perform:
- Stand tall.
- Take the support of a stable surface like a chair or a wall.
- Extend your right leg behind you.
- Push your extended leg out.
- Do this for 5 to 7 seconds.
- Switch the legs and repeat the same.
- Do this exercise 3 to 4 times twice a day.
8. Ankle Pumps
How to Perform:
- Sit on a stable surface.
- Relax yourself.
- Raise your heels as high as you can.
- Hold that position for 1 to 2 seconds.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat this 10 to 15 times based on your comfort.
9. Squats
How to Perform:
- Stand tall.
- Keep your feet hip-width apart.
- Raise your arms in the air and keep them parallel to the ground.
- Slowly bend your knee into the chair position.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat this 10 to 20 times based on your comfort.
Conclusion
Now, by the end of the blog, we can say that physical therapy for stroke recovery has proven to be revolutionary. It has a lot of treatment methods and benefits that help patients regain their pre-stroke life. Experienced professionals can help you maximize the benefits and improve the output of the therapy. You can find such professionals at Town Physical Therapy. Our experts are board-certified and hold experience of more than a decade in providing physical therapy for stroke recovery. Along with it, we are also known for providing quality postural re-education, chiropractic care, speech therapy, soft tissue mobilization, occupational therapy, and more therapies. We have Town PT centers located at Paramus, Maywood, Bergenfield, Clifton, and Emerson. If you live in New Jersey, you can search for “Physical therapy near me” and visit your nearest Town PT clinic.
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