Looking to Improve Your Strength & Mobility After a Stroke? Physical Therapy Can Help.
Are you looking for a physical therapy clinic where you receive a comprehensive stroke rehabilitation program that enables you to reach your highest level of independence? At Go Physical Therapy Balance Mobility & Cancer Rehab, our therapists are the leaders in post-stroke rehabilitation!
A stroke can affect multiple aspects of who you are, regardless of your age, resulting in intellectual and physical disabilities, personality changes, balance issues, and more. Maximizing recovery by relearning (or learning) skills for daily living is critical.
We specialize in stroke rehabilitation at Go Physical Therapy Balance Mobility & Cancer Rehab. Hands-on and equipment-based exercise and counseling are part of our comprehensive physical therapy and speech therapy services, which help patients maximize their physical and cognitive abilities. Contact our clinic today to get started on your recovery!
What is a stroke?
A stroke occurs when brain cells suddenly die due to a lack of oxygen. It occurs when a clot or bleeding restricts blood flow to a particular portion of the brain. There are two different types of strokes.
An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel is blocked, typically due to “arteriosclerosis,” a buildup of fatty deposits. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel leaks or ruptures due to a weakened area of the brain caused by abnormally formed blood vessels.
The severity of stroke symptoms depends on where the stroke occurred in the brain, the extent of damage, and the duration of the stroke. A stroke can affect cognitive function, speech, swallowing, walking, balance, strength, and function. Our therapists specialize in these areas to provide patients with treatment in one setting.
How will Go Physical Therapy Balance Mobility & Cancer Rehab help me recover?
Our therapists have extensive knowledge of neurological and movement disorders. We provide physical and speech therapy to adults and children with various diagnoses.
Some of the best physical therapy practices for helping patients relearn how to walk, use their upper body, and perform daily activities include:
- Intensive therapy. After a stroke, the brain and body can start recovering immediately and show improvement up to six months later. A VA study found that intensive physical therapy can provide additional recovery even if the therapy begins a year or more after the stroke for those with persistent disability.
- Positioning. Positioning helps a patient move from sitting to standing or from sitting to lying down. It’s effective in reducing muscle spasms and stiffness by helping the patient relearn proper body positioning.
- Partial body weight support (BWS). BWS partially supports the patient’s body as they walk. This normally takes place on a treadmill. BWS helps a patient relearn the correct way to walk as the amount of support gradually decreases with the improvement of strength, posture, coordination, and balance.
- Biofeedback. Biofeedback makes patients aware of how their muscles work and how to control them. This is performed by attaching electrodes to the skin and displaying muscle activity on a monitor.
- Constraint-induced movement therapy. Sometimes, only half of a patient’s body is affected by a stroke. With this type of therapy, a constraint will be placed on the arm on the stronger half of the body. This forces the patient to use the weakened arm to perform tasks and rebuild strength and function.
- Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is performed on weak muscles. It can benefit stiff or painful areas of the body and make the muscles move.
How physical therapy can help stroke survivors
Suffering a stroke is associated with multiple medical complications and poor functional outcomes. A good, evidence-based, comprehensive rehabilitation program is the key to recovery and independence.
Our physical therapists will start with a thorough evaluation and a movement assessment to identify all the factors contributing to your current functional abilities. This evaluation will determine the severity of weaknesses or limitations affecting your recovery.
We will use this information to develop a comprehensive program that includes targeted mobility work, gait and balance training, strengthening, and dynamic stability exercises to restore function and prevent falls. We will also incorporate balance and coordination exercises to stimulate the nervous system and help ensure we maximize your recovery.
Give our office a call today!
At Go Physical Therapy Balance Mobility & Cancer Rehab, our team of physical therapists is an expert at treating stroke-related balance and gait limitations. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. We’re looking forward to helping you regain your independence.
Sources:
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/str.0000000000000098
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cggr/2018/9853837/
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.316340
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/strokeaha.115.012004
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Atrial-Fibrillation-and-Stroke-Information-Page
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.STR.29.6.1122