The Importance Of Early   Physiotherapy Intervention For Stroke Recovery

How physiotherapy helps after a stroke

As brain swelling decreases in the days following a stroke, a remarkable recovery often takes place. Over the next few months, the patient will continue to improve as other nerves in the brain learn to take up the duties of the charmed ones (a phenomenon known as “neuroplasticity”). Strength, endurance, and confidence are all things that can be rebuilt throughout the years following a stroke. Stroke rehabilitation aims to restore as much of your functionality and autonomy as possible following the event. Physical therapists will be an integral element of the healthcare team. After a stroke, physiotherapists will work with you to restore your ability to walk, use your arms, and even sit up straight. Physiotherapists focus on improving mobility-related factors such as stability, muscular strength, mobility, sensation, coordination, and endurance. Here are some ways in which a physical therapist could aid you as you work through the many stages of stroke recovery.

1. The Incipient Stage

You will most likely spend the first few days after a stroke in a hospital. After suffering a stroke, many people find it difficult to move or even change their position. Because of the importance of proper placement in preventing swelling, skin injury, and shoulder subluxation (when the afflicted shoulder slides down in its socket), a physiotherapist may be consulted for guidance. It is recommended that you begin moving around as soon as possible after a stroke, ideally within the first 24 to 48 hours. A physiotherapist may be engaged in this process. This may involve getting up from a seated or lying position and moving around. You can reduce your risk for immobility-related issues and speed up your functional recovery by engaging in these actions. Within the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours following a stroke, you should also have an evaluation of your rehabilitation needs.

2.Second Stage: Subacute

If you have been determined to require rehabilitation, a physiotherapist will likely be a part of your rehabilitation team. People who have suffered a stroke and begin intensive therapy immediately benefit greatly.Rehabilitation can be accomplished in an in-patient setting or at home with the help of a travelling group of therapists. The most effective rehabilitation programmes are those that are both rigorous and well-structured, allocating at least three hours per day to therapy (occupational therapy and physiotherapy), with at least two of those hours dedicated to active task practice.

3.The protracted or chronic stage

Some doctors tell stroke patients that their chances of recovery are slim after three to six months. However, studies show that significant recovery is achievable with the correct guidance and exercises, even years after a stroke.A physiotherapist can tailor an exercise regimen to focus on any of the aforementioned areas, depending on the patient’s specific needs and desired outcomes. Interventions aimed at increasing fitness can assist improve function and minimise disability and death, and studies have shown that physical activity and fitness levels are typically poor following a stroke.