After A Stroke And The Most Effective Stroke Exercises
Choosing which stroke exercises to include in your stroke rehabilitation program depends on what symptoms you are experiencing and what area of the brain was damaged by your stroke. When an area of the brain suffers oxygen deprivation for an extended period that is called a cerebrovascular accident, CVA or commonly called a stroke. After a stroke the issues that may be experienced by the survivor are related to how much of the brain was damaged and what area of the brain was affected.
Stroke exercises form an integral part of the recovery and rehabilitation process. The latest scientific research about the brain and recovery demonstrate a remarkable finding called ‘neuroplasticity’ with regards to the brain and the nervous system. Neuroplasticity is a combination of the words neurology which can refer to the brain and nervous system and the word plastic which refers to something soft and pliable. Basically science has found that the brain is a ‘plastic’ organ, which means it is not fixed or rigid but it is highly adaptable and able to change or mold. This concept is the process behind stroke recovery and people abilities to regain functions after a stroke. With regards to stroke exercises in very broad categories we can look at three main areas which are cognitive exercises, motor exercises and sensory exercises.
Cognition can include functions like thinking, remembering and reasoning. Basically any functions that happen in your brain. Commonly for people with the left side of the brain affected by speech they may have some cognitive issues related to language. For example what is referred to as aphasia and this may be a difficulty in understanding speech despite hearing it with no problem or difficulty putting words together despite no issues with the vocal cords, mouth or tongue. It is a problem with the brain area responsible for processing language or expressing language. So cognitive work if needed can form part of the rehabilitation program.
A frequent aspect of stroke recovery is motor rehabilitation. Motor with respect to the brain refers to the movement of the body and it’s limbs. Post stroke people may have difficulty with movement due to a flaccid limb or poor muscle tone or they may have rigidity due to spasticity. Both result in poverty or lack of movement and restoring co-ordination and movement is essential. The quality of life of a stroke survivor can be greatly enhanced by restoring the ability to perform everyday tasks such as clothing oneself, walking, getting up from a seated position and feeding.
Problems with the sensory system results in areas of the skin or body that feel numb or have altered sensation. This can result in an area not being able to tell if an object is dull or sharp or differentiate the temperature of hot and cold. There may be some feeling in the area but it may not have the sensitivity that it is suppose to. Sensory problems can in turn affect movement because the control over a limb you can not feel becomes very difficult.
After a stroke the type of stroke exercises that form the basis of rehabilitation and recovery are very important. An understanding of how the brain works can help apply specific exercises and tailor a rehab approach to help the areas of the brain that have been effected. A specialized program can be more efficient and maximize recovery.
More hints and tips on the best stroke exercises is available from John Hamilton’s website which is all about what to do after a stroke.