Having a stroke can be a life-altering event. Unfortunately, there are many risk factors that can make a stroke more likely. These factors include things like high blood pressure, smoking and obesity.
The many risk factors that can lead to a stroke is one reason that more than 795,000 Americans have a stroke every year. Physical therapists can help you recover more effectively after a stroke. However, you may want to know what to expect from your stroke rehab with a physical therapist.
Five things to expect from physical therapy-based stroke rehab
Physical therapists are musculoskeletal system experts — they’re trained to work with the structures affected by strokes. Some of these structures include your muscles and limbs.
A few expectations you can have when you’re doing stroke recovery with a therapy specialist include:
- Relearning gross motor movements like walking
- Reeducating yourself on how to do fine motor movements like cutting your own food
- Retraining your body to switch between different types of movements
- Maintaining the tone of muscles in body parts affected by the stroke
- Learning how to use assistive devices to increase independence
How can physical therapists help you meet these stroke rehab expectations?
Your physical therapist can help you meet the stroke recovery expectations above with an individualized therapy plan. Such a plan could involve using therapy techniques like:
- Therapeutic exercises that can keep muscles toned and strong
- Soft tissue mobilization to improve blood flow to muscles and other soft tissue
- Aquatic therapy to reduce stress on your body as you strengthen muscles affected by a stroke
- Virtual therapy sessions where you work with your physical therapist over a secure online video feed
Find the effective stroke rehab you need at Peak Performance
Are you or someone you know looking for top-notch stroke recovery from a physical therapist? Our Peak Performance team is ready and willing to help you effectively recover from a stroke. We can perform a comprehensive evaluation to pinpoint what your physical needs are post-stroke. Additionally, our specialists can create an individualized rehab plan for you. This plan will be designed to reduce physical disability and boost independence.
Contact us today for more information about our physical therapy services for stroke patients or to schedule an initial appointment.
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