My father suffered a stroke a few years ago and it left him with some physical impairments such as difficulties walking. Fortunately, he had a great team of professionals (a physiotherapist, Chiropodist, osteopath etc.) so he has made a full recovery.
Strokes are one of the largest causes of disability in the world and the largest in the UK. With more than one-third of stroke survivor patients left with some sort of disability, a doctor such as an Osteopath is vital to a successful recovery. If you or your loved has experienced damaged to the portion of the brain that controls movement and struggles carrying out everyday activities, experiences weakness, or suffers from paralysis then physiotherapy treatment can help the rehabilitation.
How Strokes Affects Movement
- Hemiplegia: It’s very common for patients who suffered a stroke to experience paralysis in the arm, leg and trunk on one side of the body known as hemiplegia. This can make getting around or using your limbs difficult and painful. For example, when you try to step forward with your hip may move upward causing irritation and misalignment.
- Pain and sensations: The side of your body that is affected by the stroke can become weak which makes it difficult and painful to move them. It’s also common to experience numbness or sensations such as pins and needles, hot and cold sensations and tingling.
- Postural imbalance: Stroke patients often experience problems with their balance and proper posture, which increases the risks of falls and difficulty staying upright.
- Joint complications: On the side affected by the stroke its common to experience joint pains. For example, your shoulder might ‘drag’ if your arm is pulled which can cause dislocations or frozen shoulder and your shoulder might be difficult and painful to move.
- Muscle stiffness: The muscles along your affected side located in areas like your ankle, wrist, upper arm, and fingers might experience limited range of motion, muscle spasms or stiffness along the joint and muscle.
How Can Physiotherapy Help?
Physiotherapy plays a vital role in rehabilitation after a stroke. Through techniques including soft tissue massages, motor skill training, exercise, manipulation and electrical treatment, a physiotherapy will help heal physical symptoms and recover movement on both sides of your body.
The most important type of physiotherapy after a stroke is neurophysiotherapy. This is designed to offer treatment to problems that originate with complications in the brain and the nervous system.
This is particularly important because after a stroke our brains do not regrow cells to replace the damaged ones and therefore physiotherapy can help reorganise cells in the brain so that undamaged cells are making up for those that have been lost.
In addition to the neurophysiotherapy, you will have a Chiropractor or physiotherapist that focuses on ‘active therapy to have you up and moving normal as soon as possible. They will use techniques that will improve mobility, function, strength and flexibility. Depending on your symptoms and the severity of your condition a Physiotherapist will help
- Advise on how your body should positioned when lying and sitting
- Avoid complications that slow down your recovery
- Plan therapy to strengthen your limbs
- Teach you how to move again
- Motivate you to be actively involved during your physiotherapy sessions
- Work with your rehabilitation team and family to support your coordinated recovery
After a stroke it is important that the patient becomes physically active as soon as possible to encourage a recovery back to normal recovery. In the early stages of recovery physiotherapy is essential to guiding and aiding the treatment so that your mobility and motivation is restored.