6 Brain Stroke Recovery Exercises
Brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke that is caused when an artery in the brain bursts, causing internal bleeding. When a brain artery bursts, it leads to bleeding in the local area. As a result, the brain cells in the area cease to function, or, as is otherwise known, die.
The term hemorrhage means blood that gushes forward. Brain hemorrhage is a condition in which there is a sudden gush of blood in the blood tissues that leads to brain damage.
Different people take different amount of time to recover from a stroke. The first few weeks after the stroke are crucial, as you will start to recover from various issues you may face related to communication, memory, walking and such. While stroke rehabilitation can help you get better, you can also take care of certain things at home to help you make the most of your recovery process. One such process that can improve and speed up the healing and recovery process after a brain stroke is exercise.
The Importance Of Exercise On Brain Stroke Recovery
Various studies have indicated the importance of exercise on patients who are undergoing recovery from a brain stroke. Inactivity and lack of any physical exercise has a direct bearing on the recurrence or risk of a brain stroke. Doctors and care team members are stressing more and more on the importance of staying physically fit in order to improve the results of stroke rehabilitation.
Patients who take part in some or the other form of physical activity and exercise are at better chances to improve their blood pressure levels. As a result, it puts them at a lesser risk of a recurrent brain stroke, as well as improves chances of healing and recovery. It also helps to reduce hypertension, which is a positive factor in healing and recovering after a brain stroke.
Research also shows that patients who have suffered from mild or moderate amount of impairment or disability after a brain stroke can have very positive results with the help of repetitive task-based activities.
Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise After A Brain Stroke
A brain stroke can result in the loss of various sensorimotor functions in a patient, and can often lead to conditions such as paralysis, sensory perceptual dysfunction and spasticity, as well as muscle atrophy (a condition in which the muscles start to get wasted due to lack of any physical activity).
After a stroke, a patient can experience various physiological changes such as changes in the muscle fibers as well as muscle metabolism issues. Endurance exercise training can help patients during the rehabilitation process. Aerobic exercise training can also help to reduce the risk of muscle inflammation as well as diabetes in the patient.
Benefits Of Walking Exercise After A Brain Stroke
A person who suffers a brain stroke is more prone to a loss or reduction in mobility, which can have a negative impact on various vascular factors and increase the risk of serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart problems as well as a recurrent brain stroke. In such a case, the person will be at a higher risk of a recurring brain stroke.
Using walking as a means of exercise can help to provide enough stimuli to the patient’s overall health, as it helps to improve the patients gait by means of plastic adaptation in the brain. It is also a good way to improve the patients overall fitness and reduce the risk for various health conditions.
6 Exercises For Brain Stroke Recovery Patients
Here are a few exercises that can have a positive impact on patients who are trying to recover after a brain stroke:
Arm And Hand Exercises For Brain Stroke Rehabilitation
- Basic Stretching
Hold out your arm in an outward motion and perform as many move it through its full range of motion, as much as you can without feeling any pain or discomfort. Stretch the muscles till you feel the faintest signs of discomfort, which will indicate that you are in fact doing the right amount of stretching. Hold the stretch for about 60 seconds and then release the arm. Repeat at least 2 or 3 times a day with both hands. - Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)
The CIMT method of exercising is a method in which the unaffected arm is restricted from doing any activity for several hours through the day. Instead, the affected arm is used to perform these tasks, over and over again. This method can help to promote the use of the affected arm in the patients who have suffered from mild or moderate impairments after a brain stroke. Doing such repeated activities with the affected can also help the brain reorganize itself in assisting the arm to move, as it has a positive effect on the brain’s plasticity.
Leg Exercises For Brain Stroke Rehabilitation
- Ankle Rolls And Hamstring Stretch
Sit down on a chair and make wide circles with your ankles to help warm up the ankle joint. Do at least 20 repetitions with each leg for 2 sets. Now stretch the hamstring and try to touch your toes even as you are sitting. Bend from the hips and not from the lower back. Stop if you feel any pain or discomfort while doing the hamstring stretch. - Inner Thigh Squeeze
Make your hands into fists and position them on the sides of your knees. Squeeze both the fists and the knees together and hold it in place for about 10 seconds. Release and repeat at least 3 sets.
Core Exercises For Brain Stroke Rehabilitation
- Trunk Rotation Twists
Sit on a chair and put your right hand on the outer part of the left thigh. Keep your back straight and use your arm as support to twist your torso towards the left. Try and keep the spine as much as you can. Repeat 10 times on each side. - Forward Punch
Hold your hands together and hold them out in the front. Now make a punch forward with the hands clasped together. Make sure they are parallel to the floor. While going back to the original position, use your back muscles till you feel the pressure.
As a survivor or as someone who is caring for a loved one who is recovering from a stroke, it is important to fully understand the details of everyday living. A home care giver can assist you in looking after your loved one with the right care and medical expertise.
You can get in touch with our team at Care24 to know more.
