Physiotherapy is a holistic medical solution for people suffering from physical injuries. The process helps patients regain their strength, endurance, balance, and mobility and requires equal participation between the patient and physiotherapist to improve the body.
In a study, physiotherapy has been used to do a health and fitness check for stroke survivors and help them regain what was lost due to the attack. Over seventeen hours of therapy in ten weeks has been found effective in imploring positive effects in the body and its function levels. But how does physiotherapy aid stroke survivors in recovering from their lost body strength?
What is Stroke?
Stroke is a condition that involves the loss of blood supply to a part of the brain, causing brain tissues to lack oxygen and nutrients. In effect, people who experience a stroke attack may result in brain damage and long-term complications. A stroke is a severe medical injury—a patient’s life is on the line, possibly leading to permanent disabilities or even death.
Compared to other health conditions, a stroke attack manifests itself earlier, making it possible for people around the patients to identify that something is wrong with them. For example, a stroke patient may exhibit difficulty communicating as the words they’re saying may seem hard to understand. Another sign may involve the numbing of specific body parts, usually only on one side of the body, specifically the face, arms, or legs.
Physiotherapy becomes beneficial for people who survived a stroke attack by making them relearn the lost body functions. Think of it as training that lets patients remember how to hold their balance, stand on their feet, and possibly walk after recovery.
Benefits of Physiotherapy for Stroke Survivors
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Increased Strength
The adverse effects of a stroke depend on the part of the brain damaged by the condition. However, a patient may experience a one-sided weakness that can either be permanent or temporary. Usually, patients will experience paralysis on the upper and lower extremities, which physiotherapy can help assess and provide solutions for motor recovery.
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Better Endurance
Stroke requires a long recovery and rehabilitation period. Therefore, most patients will experience a decrease in their endurance. They may easily get tired from doing minor aerobic exercises or performing everyday household chores after recovering from the condition. However, it shouldn’t be a problem as physiotherapy can formulate the best conditioning program to maximise the improvement of the patient’s endurance.
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Improved Balance
Since a stroke patient’s strength and endurance are affected by the condition, they may also experience issues in balance and other components. These include vision, strength, sensation and vestibular function. Although it might be terrifying to learn about losing balance as a result of a stroke, physiotherapy helps by reconditioning the areas affected, especially those parts of the brain responsible for a person’s balance.
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Greater Mobility
Movement is vital for everyone. Although stroke attacks the part of the brain responsible for body movement, physiotherapy should bring back the mobility lost or even improve it for the future. In effect, instead of patients ending up in wheelchairs or hospital beds for the rest of their lives, they can go back to their regular routines before the attack.
Conclusion
Although physiotherapy has been proven effective in enhancing a person’s body functions, recovery still depends on the damage done and the type of stroke a patient has sustained. People may try the method but should expect nothing similar from past patients and the results they have acquired after every session.
Invigor Health is an online physiotherapy consultation website in Sydney. We provide health and fitness checks and affordable physiotherapy sessions for stroke survivors. Our goal is to bring the service to the patients to avoid travelling far to get to their doctor’s appointments. Log in to our website and schedule a call today!
