Stroke and Physical Therapy
If Your World is Spinning...
21/03/11 09:39
Almost everyone experiences a few seconds of dizziness at some point in their lives. Do you remember your childhood days when you would spin round and round until you got dizzy and had to wait a few seconds till the “world stopped spinning”? It was fun back then, but when it occurs “out of the blue”, it’s something to be concerned about.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 90 million Americans (more than a third of the population) report bouts of dizziness at some point in their lives. Of those, 76 million suffer from inner-ear disorders, which can be caused by:
1. Whiplash (neck injuries)
2. Blows to the head
3. Viral infections
4. High doses of certain antibiotics
5. Stroke
6. Degeneration of the inner ear's balance function, also known as the vestibular system (often deteriorates with age).
Inner-ear problems can manifest themselves in different ways. Some symptoms include dizziness, nausea and blurred vision. It’s not uncommon for individuals with dizziness to go from one doctor to another in an attempt to find a solution.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 90 million Americans (more than a third of the population) report bouts of dizziness at some point in their lives. Of those, 76 million suffer from inner-ear disorders, which can be caused by:
1. Whiplash (neck injuries)
2. Blows to the head
3. Viral infections
4. High doses of certain antibiotics
5. Stroke
6. Degeneration of the inner ear's balance function, also known as the vestibular system (often deteriorates with age).
Inner-ear problems can manifest themselves in different ways. Some symptoms include dizziness, nausea and blurred vision. It’s not uncommon for individuals with dizziness to go from one doctor to another in an attempt to find a solution.
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Every Second Matters- Stroke Prevention
09/12/10 09:43
Unknown to most individuals, holidays can cause a spike in the incidence of a stroke, which is a prolonged deficiency in blood supply to the brain. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America, killing about 137,000 people each year, and a leading cause of long-term disability for adults.
According to the National Stroke Association, it is estimated that approximately 795,000 strokes will occur this year.
According to the National Stroke Association, it is estimated that approximately 795,000 strokes will occur this year.
- This number is estimated to rise to more than 1 million by 2015.
- About 55,000 more women than men have a stroke each year.
- African Americans are almost twice as likely to suffer from a stroke.
- It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of them are new, but the rest are recurrent strokes. Having a stroke creates a greater risk for another stroke.
- Within 5 years of having a stroke, the risk of having another stroke increases by about 40%.
Slash Your Risk of Stroke in 2011
08/12/10 08:22
Here are some things you can do today:
So, what's the role of exercise and physical therapy after a stroke?
Physical therapy involves using and strengthening the muscles, and some range-of-motion and stretching exercises to keep the joint mobility. Focus is on regaining the use of the limbs that have been weakened or paralyzed by the stroke.
Sitting around after a stroke is not helpful. Exercise is always better. WHY?
To find out more about what exercise plan is right for you or your loved ones, call our office today! It's the most important decision you will make for the health of your family for 2011.
- Stop smoking and control your alcohol consumption.
- Manage high blood pressure.
- Manage high cholesterol - cholesterol is the building block for plaque in arteries, which can block blood flow to the brain. This can increase risk of stroke or heart attack.
- Manage your diabetes-diabetes makes you four times more likely to have a stroke.
- Eat a healthy diet, including a low-sodium diet
- Increase physical activity - as little as 30 minutes a day of exercise (walking, swimming, etc) can improve your health, and may reduce your risk for stroke.
So, what's the role of exercise and physical therapy after a stroke?
Physical therapy involves using and strengthening the muscles, and some range-of-motion and stretching exercises to keep the joint mobility. Focus is on regaining the use of the limbs that have been weakened or paralyzed by the stroke.
Sitting around after a stroke is not helpful. Exercise is always better. WHY?
- It controls cholesterol levels - exercise increases "good cholesterol" levels.
- It fights high blood pressure by keeping your blood vessels healthy.
- It controls weight - after the first stroke, many need to lose weight to reduce the risk of another stroke. Exercise helps with weight management.
- It fights depression - being physically active helps fight stress and depression, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke risk.
To find out more about what exercise plan is right for you or your loved ones, call our office today! It's the most important decision you will make for the health of your family for 2011.
Study: Walking Again After a Stroke Using a Treadmill
03/12/10 10:40
Walking After Stroke: What Does Treadmill Training With Body Weight Support Add to Overground Gait Training in Patients Early After Stroke?
A Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Marco Franceschini, MD; Stefano Carda, MD; Maurizio Agosti, PT; Roberto Antenucci, MD; Daniele Malgrati, MD; Carlo Cisari, MD on behalf of Gruppo Italiano Studio Allevio Carico Ictus (GISACI)
Background and Purpose— This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of gait training using body weight support on a treadmill compared with conventional gait training for people with subacute stroke who were unable to walk.
Methods— This was a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial with a 6-month follow-up. Ninety-seven subjects were recruited within 6 weeks of stroke onset and were randomly assigned to conventional rehabilitative treatment plus gait training with body weight support on a treadmill (experimental group; n=52) and conventional treatment with overground gait training only (control group; n=45). All subjects were treated in 60-minute sessions every weekday for 4 weeks. Outcome measures were Motricity Index, Trunk Control test, Barthel Index, Functional Ambulation Categories, 10-meter and 6-minute Walk Tests, and Walking Handicap Scale. Assessments were made at baseline, after 20 sessions of treatment, 2 weeks after treatment, and 6 months after stroke.
Results— After treatment, all patients were able to walk. Both groups showed improvement in all outcome measures (P<0.0063) at the end of the treatment and at follow-up. No differences were seen between the 2 groups before, during, and after treatment and at follow-up.
Conclusions— In subacute patients with stroke, gait training on a treadmill with body weight support is feasible and as effective as conventional gait training. However, the need for more personnel for treadmill training makes the use of robotically assisted systems more compelling.
Original article: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/short/40/9/3079
A Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Marco Franceschini, MD; Stefano Carda, MD; Maurizio Agosti, PT; Roberto Antenucci, MD; Daniele Malgrati, MD; Carlo Cisari, MD on behalf of Gruppo Italiano Studio Allevio Carico Ictus (GISACI)
Background and Purpose— This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of gait training using body weight support on a treadmill compared with conventional gait training for people with subacute stroke who were unable to walk.
Methods— This was a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial with a 6-month follow-up. Ninety-seven subjects were recruited within 6 weeks of stroke onset and were randomly assigned to conventional rehabilitative treatment plus gait training with body weight support on a treadmill (experimental group; n=52) and conventional treatment with overground gait training only (control group; n=45). All subjects were treated in 60-minute sessions every weekday for 4 weeks. Outcome measures were Motricity Index, Trunk Control test, Barthel Index, Functional Ambulation Categories, 10-meter and 6-minute Walk Tests, and Walking Handicap Scale. Assessments were made at baseline, after 20 sessions of treatment, 2 weeks after treatment, and 6 months after stroke.
Results— After treatment, all patients were able to walk. Both groups showed improvement in all outcome measures (P<0.0063) at the end of the treatment and at follow-up. No differences were seen between the 2 groups before, during, and after treatment and at follow-up.
Conclusions— In subacute patients with stroke, gait training on a treadmill with body weight support is feasible and as effective as conventional gait training. However, the need for more personnel for treadmill training makes the use of robotically assisted systems more compelling.
Original article: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/short/40/9/3079
Stroke Rehabilitation with Physical Therapy
04/11/10 16:54
For stroke survivors, an aggressive and thorough physical therapy treatment plan is essential for regaining balance, mobility, and other functions. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults, according to WebMD. Physical therapists focus on rebuilding strength, balance, and endurance through a series of exercises and treatment techniques. Studies have shown that stroke survivors who sought physical therapy recovered almost all functions, compared to those who did not seek therapy.
*For original article:
http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20030818/physical-therapy-stroke
*For original article:
http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20030818/physical-therapy-stroke
The Connection Between Stroke and Physical Therapy
06/07/10 14:56
A stroke can affect men and women of all ages and carries with it damaging and potentially life-threatening complications.
Simply stated, a stroke refers to an unexpected loss of brain function that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or when blood vessels in the brain rupture. When the blood flow is affected, the brain cells in the affected area die, and this can cause long-term damage.
Depending on the area injured, a stroke can cause an individual to lose his or her ability to see, speak, read or write, along with loss of memory or an impaired thought process. Also, movement is limited to partial or full paralysis. The slightest of delays in blood flow can cause damage to the brain. The longer the brain is without important nutrients and oxygen carried by the blood, the higher the risk of permanent damage.
So, what are the risk factors of stroke?
They are high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, certain heart conditions, diabetes, obesity, smoking, stress, and drinking too much alcohol. In addition women are subject to an extra set of risk factors, such as menopause and hormonal changes, as well as conditions associated with pregnancy and the use of birth control pills. A low activity level has further been linked to stroke risk, bringing yet another benefit to regular exercise.
Fortunately, you can identify a stoke early through FOUR MAJOR WARNING SIGNS and potentially decrease the severity of the damage:
• Weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg
• Speech or comprehension trouble, vision problems
• Headache
• Dizziness
Each of these warning signs can occur alone or in any combination. So, learn and remember the list. Remember, timing is key. Getting treatment quickly can help counteract the damaging effect of a stroke. So if any of these warning signs occur, be sure to get medical attention immediately!
Impact of a Stroke
Knowing the warning signs of a stroke can not only save your own life, but that of someone close to you as well. In fact, most of us know someone who has suffered a stroke and have seen its damaging effects.
Share this information with members of your family, especially those who are aging, and you just may save a life.
Physical Therapy and Stroke Recovery
You may not expect physical therapy to play an important part in stroke recovery, but it is often referred to as an indispensable tool. While there are other types of stroke rehabilitation, including speech and occupational therapy, physical therapy specifically addresses physical damage. Of course, the type of assistance necessary depends on the type of damage that is present.
As physical therapists, we are trained to teach strengthening exercises to retrain the body following a stroke. Using a series of custom-designed stretches and exercises, we can help a stroke victim broaden his or her range of motion, build muscle, and increase endurance. Before establishing a treatment plan, we test the stroke victim’s current levels of motion, strength and endurance, and use this valuable information to create a plan that best suits the individual.
Word of Caution:
Never underestimate the range of treatment provided by your physical therapist. Even if the stroke victim is suffering from partial paralysis or weakness as a result of the stroke, physical therapy can prove to be very beneficial. In the case of paralysis, we can teach the stroke victim ways to compensate for the loss, in addition to prescribing treatment for the affected limb(s). For stroke sufferers forced to combat ongoing weakness, physical therapy can help to strengthen the extremities as a long-term solution.Physical therapy plays an integral role in stroke recovery. If you or someone you know has suffered a stroke, contact your physical therapist now to open a new door to recovery.
Simply stated, a stroke refers to an unexpected loss of brain function that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or when blood vessels in the brain rupture. When the blood flow is affected, the brain cells in the affected area die, and this can cause long-term damage.
Depending on the area injured, a stroke can cause an individual to lose his or her ability to see, speak, read or write, along with loss of memory or an impaired thought process. Also, movement is limited to partial or full paralysis. The slightest of delays in blood flow can cause damage to the brain. The longer the brain is without important nutrients and oxygen carried by the blood, the higher the risk of permanent damage.
So, what are the risk factors of stroke?
They are high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, certain heart conditions, diabetes, obesity, smoking, stress, and drinking too much alcohol. In addition women are subject to an extra set of risk factors, such as menopause and hormonal changes, as well as conditions associated with pregnancy and the use of birth control pills. A low activity level has further been linked to stroke risk, bringing yet another benefit to regular exercise.
Fortunately, you can identify a stoke early through FOUR MAJOR WARNING SIGNS and potentially decrease the severity of the damage:
• Weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg
• Speech or comprehension trouble, vision problems
• Headache
• Dizziness
Each of these warning signs can occur alone or in any combination. So, learn and remember the list. Remember, timing is key. Getting treatment quickly can help counteract the damaging effect of a stroke. So if any of these warning signs occur, be sure to get medical attention immediately!
Impact of a Stroke
Knowing the warning signs of a stroke can not only save your own life, but that of someone close to you as well. In fact, most of us know someone who has suffered a stroke and have seen its damaging effects.
Share this information with members of your family, especially those who are aging, and you just may save a life.
Physical Therapy and Stroke Recovery
You may not expect physical therapy to play an important part in stroke recovery, but it is often referred to as an indispensable tool. While there are other types of stroke rehabilitation, including speech and occupational therapy, physical therapy specifically addresses physical damage. Of course, the type of assistance necessary depends on the type of damage that is present.
As physical therapists, we are trained to teach strengthening exercises to retrain the body following a stroke. Using a series of custom-designed stretches and exercises, we can help a stroke victim broaden his or her range of motion, build muscle, and increase endurance. Before establishing a treatment plan, we test the stroke victim’s current levels of motion, strength and endurance, and use this valuable information to create a plan that best suits the individual.
Word of Caution:
Never underestimate the range of treatment provided by your physical therapist. Even if the stroke victim is suffering from partial paralysis or weakness as a result of the stroke, physical therapy can prove to be very beneficial. In the case of paralysis, we can teach the stroke victim ways to compensate for the loss, in addition to prescribing treatment for the affected limb(s). For stroke sufferers forced to combat ongoing weakness, physical therapy can help to strengthen the extremities as a long-term solution.Physical therapy plays an integral role in stroke recovery. If you or someone you know has suffered a stroke, contact your physical therapist now to open a new door to recovery.