Every year thousands of people have strokes and nearly a quarter of those people die. Stroke is still a leading cause of disability and death in the world and it’s only getting worse as the population ages.

This article will go through the stroke recovery process and rehabilitation, and to begin with, it is crucial to highlight the fact that strokes can cause damage to the brain in various ways.

Stroke Recovery Process

The stroke recovery process for a patient includes physical, speech, and occupational therapy alongside psychological counseling. Physical and occupational therapies are aimed at improving the strength, range of motion, endurance, and quality of life of stroke victims.

Speech therapy helps the patients with improvement of cognitive abilities and speech.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a crucial part of the stroke recovery process and it’s performed to improve movement or motoric abilities of the affected parts of the body. For example, if a person had a stroke in the left side of the brain then he would go through physical therapy to strengthen the muscles and recover the motor function in that side. The better the muscle strength is in the affected limb, the better is motor function after a stroke. Patients are expected to perform exercises with their affected limb while a therapist controls the movement of the muscles. The therapist will also help them develop muscle memory in that area. The goal is for a person with a stroke to be able to use his left hand independently for functions such as dressing and eating without any assistance from the therapists. Some patients may need to wear a brace during physical therapy sessions as well.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is performed in order to improve activities of daily living such as dressing, feeding, bathing, etc. For example, if a person had a stroke in his hand and it became paralyzed then he would have occupational therapy in order to improve his ability to use that hand. Occupational therapists will work with patients in order to improve their hand function (e.g. grip strength). The better the patient’s grip is on objects, the easier it will be for them to use everyday objects.

Speech Therapy

As part of speech therapy, a speech therapist can help patients with the proper placement of their tongue and mouth during sentence production. For example, if a person who had a stroke in his right hand had trouble placing his tongue properly on the roof of his mouth [and could not raise it], then a speech therapist would help him correct this.

Hydrotherapy (water therapy)

The purpose of hydrotherapy is to help improve blood circulation by increasing the amount of blood flowing through an affected area. Hydrotherapy involves immersion in warm or cold water for brief periods of time (e.g. 20 minutes). Hydrotherapy may also be useful for muscle stimulation or to provide needed relief from joint pain.

Exercise Therapy

It is performed in the stroke recovery process in order to achieve a better cardiovascular fitness level and enhance the effectiveness of anticoagulants, medications that help prevent blood from clotting.

Post-stroke rehabilitation is an intense process that takes about 6 to 18 months. During this period there can be gains and losses in different parts of the brain depending on the type of stroke suffered by the patient.

Motus Health – Stroke recovery from the comfort of your own home

Motus Health is a digital healthcare application that offers stroke recovery options to patients and their families. It is developed by a team of medical experts, stroke survivors, and medical experts. The app is in development and the team is looking for its first beta testers.

If you are a caregiver or a stroke patient, please contact them.