A stroke is the interruption of oxygen that flows to the brain. Part of your brain becomes damaged during a stroke, but the scope and intensity of the damage varies for each person. Common aftereffects of a stroke include weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, problems with language processing and speech, and cognitive impairment. Exercises to address all of these conditions play an important role in post-stroke rehabilitation.
Range of Motion
Range of motion exercise are those in which your limbs and head are manipulated to maintain joint flexibility and keep the muscles from atrophying. If you are able to perform these exercises yourself, they are called active range of motion exercises. People who are paralyzed from a stroke may require assistance from a caregiver; the exercises are then called passive range of motion exercises. The motions include flexing, rotating and extending your extremities at each joint when possible, including the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles and toes. Range of motion exercises are among the earliest types of rehabilitation that are typically used following a stroke.
Strengthening
Strengthen exercises help regain strength that has been lost as a result of the stroke. Even people who do not experience paralysis can be weak following a stroke and have difficulties living their normal lives due to a lack of endurance. Hand exercises may be among the most basic of strengthening tools, particularly in those who have lost some of their motor function. Squeezing a tennis ball or a gripper can increase muscle tone in the hands and fingers; the importance of this is evident in occupational therapy. Some stroke victims can no longer dress or feed themselves without assistance; strengthening may be able to reverse the situation. Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that stroke survivors who participated in strength training using resistance bands or light hand weights reported less pain and tightness of the hand and arm muscles, which in turn led to increased function.
Speech
Speech therapy is part of the rehabilitation process for a person who has impaired speech due to the stroke. In some cases, the muscles of the lips, tongue and face were affected by the stroke and are weakened, making speech difficult to produce and to understand. Exercises that help you form the different sounds might include repeating specific words and holding your mouth in certain positions to strengthen the muscles -- like pursing your lips to produce the O sound.
Language
The language centers in your brain can be affected when you have had a stroke. You might not have trouble physically speaking, but a common side effect of a stroke is aphasia, or losing the ability to express yourself verbally because you cannot find the right word or cannot remember which word goes to a specific object. Exercises to help you regain your expressiveness can include working with flashcards that include both the picture and the written word of everyday objects, like a clock, fork or bed.
References
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Fact Sheet
- UPMC Rehabilitation Institute: The Days and Months After a Stroke
- Reuters Health: Strength Training Aids Stroke-Weakened Hands, Arms
- PhysioAdvisor.com: Hand Strengthening Exercises
- Drugs.com: Active Range of Motion Exercises
- The Stroke Association: Speech and Language Therapy After Stroke
