PHYSIOTHERAPY AFTER STROKE

A stroke can cause weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, and problems with movement and carrying out day today activities. Physiotherapy can help you to recover, and here we discuss, how physiotherapy can help you to recover from a stroke.

How can a stroke affect patient’s body movements?

Patient may experience weakness, or even complete paralysis (called hemiplegia) in the muscles of one side of the body. This can make it difficult to move or use the limbs and get about. Patient’s limbs may move in a different way when they try to use them. For example, hip may move upwards when patient want to step forwards, or elbow may move out to the side when patient want to lift something.

The affected side of the body may fell different. Limbs may feel heavy because the weakness makes them difficult to move, or they may feel numb. Some people have more unusual sensations such as pins and needles, hot and cold sensation or feeling as though water is running down their limb. Occasionally these can be painful. They may have problems with posture and balance, making it more likely to trip or have a fall. Joints of the affected side, such as shoulder, may be vulnerable to injury, for example if arm is pulled or its weight is allowed to ‘drag’. This can cause a partial dislocation (called subluxation) or ‘frozen shoulder’ where your shoulder becomes painful and difficult to move. Some muscles on the affected side may become stiff (most often at the wrist, fingers and ankle) which can limit movement at the joint, and some people may develop muscles spasms or a type of stiffness called spasticity.

How can physiotherapy help?

After a stroke, our brains cannot grow new cells to replace the ones that have been damaged, but the brain has the ability to re-organize its undamaged cells and make up for what has been lost. This is called neuroplasticity.

This process can be guided by the rehabilitation you receive following your stroke, and your physiotherapist will provide expert guidance on how to re-learn movement and regain function. A physiotherapist can also help you adapt an activity or task so you can do it independently.