Serving the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire of Georgia and South Carolina.
Monday, September 30, 2024
If you’ve experienced a stroke, physical therapy will be an important part in your recovery process. Suffering a stroke can limit your ability to complete everyday tasks, but physical therapy can help you rebuild the skills needed for greater independence and the best possible quality of life.
Here, we take a closer look at how physical therapists help stroke survivors during rehabilitation.
Simply put, a stroke is an attack on your brain that occurs when its blood supply is cut off. Without enough blood consistently flowing through, brain cells deteriorate, affecting both bodily functions and cognition. Loss of muscle function, also known as paralysis, is common.
Oftentimes, the physical effects of a stroke are concentrated on one side of the body, opposite the side in which the stroke occurred. Many people who have experienced a stroke, for example, have difficulty walking and using their hands or arms, and experience challenges with balance. Fortunately, there is some ability for the brain to recover due to two key mechanisms: neuroplasticity and redundancy.
Physical therapists are trained in the mechanisms and functions of the body related to movement. Using targeted rehabilitation plans, these professionals help stroke survivors regain coordination, strength, balance, and control over their movements. During physical therapy sessions, your therapist will work with you to repeatedly perform movements (redundancy), which allows your brain to rewire itself in a process known as neuroplasticity. Every step you take or movement you make, both during physical therapy and elsewhere, will help to rewire your brain to healthier levels.
A physical therapist will start the rehabilitation process by performing an evaluation of your strength, endurance, mobility, coordination, and any sensory challenges that may affect your recovery, such as vision or hearing loss. From this initial assessment, they will then create a personalized rehabilitation plan based on your specific needs. This customized plan often encompasses repetitive, isolated movements, which are then built upon as more complex or compound movements are introduced.
Some examples of physical therapy techniques used in stroke rehabilitation include:
In addition to these approaches, some physical therapists also use technology-assisted techniques, such as functional electrical stimulation to retrain weakened muscles through targeted contractions, or robotic technology that assists impaired limbs in performing repetitive movements.
Frequently, physical therapy is combined with other types of therapy to create a comprehensive stroke rehabilitation program. For example, you might also receive occupational therapy, which emphasizes independence in daily activities such as feeding, dressing, and hygiene, as well as cognitive therapy to support memory, processing, social, and problem-solving skills.
Whether you’ve survived a stroke or another medical event that has otherwise affected your mobility, SouthCoast Health is here to help. Through comprehensive physical therapy services and a personalized program, our providers will improve your strength, function, and mobility. Search through our providers online to schedule your appointment or get in touch by calling 912.691.3600.
Whether you are looking for a primary care doctor or a pediatrician, or another medical specialist, SouthCoast Health has you covered with its wide range of world-class healthcare services, available throughout the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry. SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 18 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hilton Head, Hinesville, and Statesboro. SouthCoast Health offers comprehensive medical services including: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Allergy and Asthma, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Eye Care, Imaging, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Neurology, Physical Therapy, Podiatry, Surgery, Clinical Trial Research Studies, Diabetic Self-Management Training Sessions, Dietetic Counseling, High-Risk Breast Cancer Clinic, Laboratory Services, Massage Therapy, Optical Shop, Pharmacy, and Urgent Care.
SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 18 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hinesville, and Statesboro.
