Stroke, it’s a leading cause of adult long term disability worldwide. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain impaired either through a blockage or a bleed. Over the years, the percentage of deaths related to strokes have decreased--this is due to innovative medical treatments such as thrombectomies, which, simply put, uses a device to enter an artery in the leg and remove the clot within the brain that has disrupted blood flow. As a result of these exciting treatments, there are now more individuals living with the effects of a stroke and more and more rehabilitation services are needed.
Rehabilitation, in all forms, are essential for both recovery after a stroke and for prevention of a subsequent stroke. All tissues within our body need blood to survive; with the sudden loss of blood flow to parts of the brain, these areas experience brain cell death. Although we currently cannot salvage the dead cells, our brains have the capability to undergo significant reorganization. Think about this scenario: your 20 year old child has been living abroad for several years while going to school. They have now completed their studies and decide to move back home to save some money. Although you had previously repurposed their bedroom for your home exercises room, you now have to reorganize your exercise equipment to another space within your house. The space is now different, but it’s still functional. A similar reorganization occurs within the brain--we call this neuroplasticity. This outstanding capability is why we see and continually strive for recovery after stroke.
As movement specialists, physiotherapists can help stroke survivors regain their function and strive to make movements more efficient (i.e. take less effort and energy). Physiotherapists can advise and assist recovery through specific exercises and movements and provide guidance for maintaining a consistent level of physical activity to prevent a secondary stroke or other related diagnoses.
If you have more questions about stroke recovery and how we can help you, feel free to reach out and book a consult with our physiotherapists!
Shannon Lim
Registered Physiotherapist, InReach Online Physio
MSc, MPT, PhD(c) in stroke rehabilitation
Shannon is a Neuro Rehab telephysiotherapist with extensive post-graduate training. She finds online physio (telerehab) very effective to assess and treat neuro patients in their own home environment.
Questions about how we can help? Feel free to email us - inreachphysio@gmail.com