After a person suffers a stroke it is very important to go through a recovery process to learn everything back that was damaged in your brain. With the following instructions, a patient can once more become independent. The severity of a stroke and the complications it can cause differ from person to person. It has been established that a focused rehabilitation program is the best way to get back in shape.
What is involved in stroke rehabilitation?
Just as different types of strokes affect the various parts of the brain there are more approaches to rehabilitation. The one you will be prescribed depends on the type of ability affected by it.
Physical activities
This rehabilitation process is among the most important for you to regain all your motor skills. Recovery in the form of outpatient physical therapy is very significant and needs to be done right. This is why you need to be ready to give 100 percent during this part so that you would surely get back on your feet.
Doing exercises will surely improve your muscle strength and coordination, but also your swallowing so that there isn’t any danger of you choking on food. At first, you will probably need some aids in the form of walkers, canes or even a wheelchair, but don’t be afraid, because it is possible to recover completely.
Other exercises might be concentrated only on the limb the stroke affected or just to ease muscle tension. Here are the following activities you could go through:
- Mobility training
- Constraint-induced therapy
- Motion range therapy
- Motor skill exercises
Sometimes, a smart way to speed up physical recovery is with technology. Machines can help you with muscle contractions, limb movement, and everyday activity. Technology-assisted therapy includes:
- Electrical stimulation
- VR
- Activity monitors
- Robotic technology (for limbs)
Cognitive and emotional activities
Strokes can create cognitive disorders, so another smart solution for therapy is to concentrate on that. It is used to regain cognitive abilities that include processing, social skills, memory, awareness, etc. This part of rehabilitation also helps with getting your communication skills back on track so you could once again speak, listen and write as you used before.
Another thing this chapter includes is a psychological evaluation because there can be problems in your emotional adjustment. A good method of treatment is support groups or counseling. You might also receive medications such as antidepressants or some that affect your movement and alertness.
How do I speed up my recovery?
1) Be careful with physical activities
As it was mentioned above exercise is very important, but you should not do too much of it. It can cause a lot of injuries especially if you are still in the process of re-learning. That is why you need to increase physical activity gradually.
2) Start a healthy diet
Watching what you eat is a great way to speed up your recovery. You should consider a diet with foods that consist of high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids especially if you are an older adult. Another group you should include in your menu is flavonoid-rich foods to strengthen your brain health. Eating habits like these also help prevent obesity and can get you back on your feet more quickly. Here is the list of some of the foods you should give a chance to:
- olive oil
- salmon
- walnuts
- hemp
- spinach
- blueberries
- Legumes
3) Rest a lot
A good night’s sleep is important for everyone, therefore it is more significant to stroke recovery patients. While resting your body and brain are healing faster, and you will also be able to go through better physical and psychological exercises the next day.
4) Respite care
This should not even be mentioned because it is obvious, but conducting your recovery inside a hospital or nursing home with professionals around 24/7 is a very smart way for rehabilitation that can speed up the healing process. Make sure you find a good facility where you will feel and they will surely get you back on your feet.
By knowing what kinds of treatment you should get and how to go through them properly you will be on your way out of the hospital bed and back to your former self. Follow these tips and the process will surely be shorter.
