4 Ways A Physiotherapist Can Help You During Stroke Recovery

A physiotherapist plays a critical role in the stroke rehabilitation team handling a stroke patient. Below are some of the functions that a physiotherapist can perform as you try to recover from the effects of a stroke.

Advice on positioning

Your physiotherapist will determine what positions will be appropriate for you in the immediate aftermath of your stroke treatment. These often differ depending on which side of your body was affected by the stroke. The physiotherapist will, therefore, recommend the most appropriate lying or sitting positions for you. Additionally, they will also determine how often those caring for you should move you from those positions. In this way, the physiotherapist ensures that inappropriate postures that can worsen your condition are avoided. Kindly inform them in case you are not comfortable with certain procedures so that changes can be made.

Decisions on movement

It is the physiotherapist's role to decide when you can try to get up and start moving as you recover from a stroke. They also recommend the most appropriate equipment that should be availed to support you during those initial attempts to move as you recover. Such guidance saves you from the risks of overexertion during those crucial stages of learning to move independently after the treatment.

Therapy to regain strength

Physiotherapists are also involved in taking patients through different exercises that are geared at helping one's limbs to regain their strength. The brain has to create new connections (synapses) between the remaining cells to take on the roles of the brain cells destroyed by the stroke. The exercises that are selected by the physiotherapist help to accelerate the formation of those connections in your brain so that the limbs can function again.

Guiding your caregivers

Most of your recovery is likely to take place when you are out of the hospital. This means that your family members and friends will play a significant role in your recovery. The physiotherapist advises you and those people about how much you should take on during your recovery. For example, they can create a schedule of the different tasks, such as walking to pick the mail, which you can perform as the weeks go by after your stroke.

It is evident that physiotherapy is integral to your recovery after a stroke. You should always adhere to all the instructions that are given by your physiotherapist. Contact them in case you have any questions about your progress.