Archive for Stroke Recovery
Three Tips for Preventing Another Stroke
Having a stroke places you at a greater risk for having another stroke. Fortunately, there are steps you can take today to significantly reduce your chances of suffering a second stroke. We’ll cover three tips for preventing another stroke.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 381,400 Australians reported that they had suffered a stroke in 2009. As it turns out, approximately 80% of these strokes could have been prevented through health and lifestyle changes.
Tip 1. Maintain a healthy diet
Salty and fatty foods are well-known contributors to stroke risks. Choosing fresh fruits and vegetables, foods with low sodium, and foods that are low in cholesterol, trans fats, and saturated fats will go a long way in reducing your chances of suffering a stroke.
Changing what you eat can be a gradual process. Start by planning out a weekly menu and incorporating two to five healthier meals each week. Try to get friends and family members on board for additional support.
Tip 2. Kick the smoking habit
Smoking significantly increases your chances of suffering a stroke.… .. Click here to read the rest
Virtual Reality For Stroke Rehabilitation
Virtual reality seems to be everywhere these days, most often being used as a way to demonstrate products and to play video games. You’re also likely to see more virtual reality in therapy plans for Brisbane patients’ stroke rehabilitation and recovery.
Virtual Reality For Stroke Rehabilitation: What the studies are saying
One study involving 19 trials and 565 participants measured the effects of virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation in comparison to alternative or no stroke recovery intervention. Researchers found that virtual reality had a statistically significant effect on arm function. They also admitted that more randomised controlled trials were required to prove the benefits of virtual reality, which programs should be used, and which patients are more likely to benefit from it at different points of their stroke rehabilitation.
A later study by Cochrane involving over 1000 stroke sufferers found that interactive video game playing and virtual reality was helpful in improving upper limb function. There was also evidence that virtual reality could improve activities of daily living (ADL) functions like walking as well as global motor functions.… .. Click here to read the rest
This Week In Therapy: How To Walk Again After Stroke (Plus More)
At Occupational Therapy Brisbane, we’re sharing neurological therapy and age care advances: How to walk again after stroke: Why this gait rehabilitation robot is different, Age care training program associated with reduction in anti-psychotic medication, Drawing and Sculpture: How clinical art is tackling early-onset dementia symptoms, Who is at risk of weight gain after deep brain stimulation(DBS), and Michael. J. Fox on Mindset.
1. How to walk again after stroke: Why this gait rehabilitation robot is different
Key points about this gait rehabilitation robot prototype
- The interesting development in this robotics application in mobility is not to walk the person inside a robot instead it’s to follow movement not influence it.
- That’s a significant distinction when you consider that most robotic gait support market devices aim to influence movement, control movement, substitute function and active participation.
- Conversely, there appears to be a sensitivity in this prototype to sense a user’s performance and provide the minimum viable assistance.
How it works
- The device is attached at the pelvis and enables mobility without over restricting the client’s performance.
Does Exercise Help Your Stroke Recovery?
Being consistent with exercise may not always prevent a stroke but instead appears to predict you how well you’ll likely recover from a stroke. On the flip side, being in active appears to contribute to poor outcomes such as more disability after a stroke.
The journal, Neurology, published the latest findings of research completed by a Harvard University team. Led by study author Dr. Pamela Rist, found those who exercised ‘vigorously’ three times a week or more prior to a stroke were more likely to be more independent after the stroke compared to those who were inactive.
The researchers followed more than 18,000 people who were initially stroke-free for an average of 12 years. In answering Does Exercise Help Your Stroke Recovery? the key features and findings of the study were:
- Participants were interviewed regularly about their ability to do basic activities of daily living, height, weight and level of physical activity
- Vigorous physical activity was defined as sports, heavy housework or a job that required physical effort.
- 1,374 of the participants had a stroke and survived and
- 479 people had a stroke and died before the next round of interviews.
A Summary Guide To What Are Stroke Symptoms and The Common Pathways From Hospital To Home
Before we dive into what are stroke symptoms a quick announcement:
You should consult your local Medical Officer if you suspect you’re experiencing any of the stroke symptoms mentioned in this article.
It’s worth bearing in mind..
Stroke is the second biggest killer and the largest single cause of disability worldwide, says the Stroke Foundation.
At OTB our position is simple.
The more we can learn about stroke, especially prevention and knowing what are stroke symptoms as well as treatment options the better.
Mechanisms: What Are Stroke Symptoms
The event triggering the stroke symptoms may be
- Ischaemic: A clot in a blood vessel supplying the brain. Following this event a cerebral infarct (an area of dead nacrotic) tissues may occur in the area which is supplied by the blocked artery. If the blood flow is not restored within a short period of time then cellular death occurs.
- Haemorrhagic: An artery ruptures and a bleed occurs within the brain
The American Stroke Association and the Stroke Foundation has a comprehensive Strokesaurus of key terms
What Are Early Stroke Signs and Symptoms
At the time of the stroke event a person will present with their own stroke signs, however, with the masses of data collated over the years identifying most stroke symptoms have become clearer to see.… .. Click here to read the rest
Stroke Recovery Plan
Here’s how you can get direction and take control of your stroke recovery.
After Mark’s stroke his memory wasn’t what it used to be.
You see, it affected his ability to do the simplest of things at home:
- Like making tea and toast for his partner in the morning.
- For Mark, 3 years after his stroke, he was also deeply anxious about walking in shopping centres as he was easily lost and disorientated. This meant for his partner, she was always ever present.
Mark and his partner’s view of the future was forever ambushed by his daily stroke symptoms. You’d likely appreciate it was hard to see tomorrow when today was so rough. It was clear there was a loss of direction and loss of control
Mark’s story is his own as is your story.
No doubt, from the day of your stroke, there’s likely a change in your life.
For you this may include physical, emotional and or cognitive (thinking and memory) changes.
As a result there’s likely been a big shift in what you can do for yourself and this can affect people deeply.… .. Click here to read the rest
Identifying The Signs of Stroke: Are You FAST Enough?
The established method to identify the signs of stroke has been to apply the FAST acronym. The Stroke Foundation (Australia) and The American Heart Association have championed the acronym: FAST as the formula to help lay people identity the signs of stroke.
How To Identify The Signs of Stroke
FAST is short for Face, Arm, Speech and Time – time being a prompt not to waste it and to seek help and assessment immediately. The time to be seen can be the difference between lasting and disabling effects of a stroke.
According to new research by University of Kentucky FAST may not be enough. Not that FAST is insufficient, more so that it does not appear to capture comprehensively the signs of stroke.
However, a study published in a recent issue of Stroke and authored by Dr Susanth Aroor a resident physician at the University of Kentucky may offer a new advancement in how first respondents look for the signs of stroke.
You see the idea originated from investigating how many strokes were initially missed because the FAS(T) mnemonic didn’t apply to them. … .. Click here to read the rest
Exercise After A Stroke Can It Improve Brain Function?
So, after a stroke can exercise improve brain function? With stroke a leading cause disability in Australia, identifying stroke recovery tools which can help stroke survivors is critical.
Findings from the University of Pittsburgh researchers at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2017 reports If you want to improve cognitive function after stroke, exercise appears to be of significant benefit.
Report Findings: Exercise After A Stroke
In a meta analysis of 13 trials which totaled 735 people the University of Pittsburgh team found tailored physical activity programs significantly improve cognitive changes among stroke patients regardless of the length the rehab program.
They reported
- Structured exercise may be a good strategy to promote cognitive recovery after stroke.
- Programs as short as 12 weeks were observed to be effective at improving cognitive function
- Survivors in recovery after stroke one year plus later ( chronic) also experienced improvement with their cognitive performance
- Represents a low cost intervention
- Combined strength and aerobic programs were noted to experience the largest cognitive gains
Exercise After A Stroke and OT Brisbane
What excites us about this is the potential application for long term stroke survivors as we’re often asked what type of exercise should you do?… .. Click here to read the rest
Recovery After Stroke
Years after a stroke, is it too late to improve? Recovery after stroke is commonly a long journey.
If you’re like most people and families who experience a stroke, one of the common expectations is to achieve a full functional recovery within the first 3 to 6 months.
It’s clear rehabilitation after a stroke starts at hospital, right away but when does it stop?
For some people the next step in their stroke recovery will be in the rehabilitation environment be it as an inpatient or an outpatient. Your stay in rehabilitation may be weeks to months.
But when it’s all said and done, 6 months to 12 months later you’re at home with the symptoms of your stroke to some degree and you may be wondering- is that it?
Now what? Should you be doing something about your stroke symptoms after a year, 2 years or even 5 years?
We’ll often hear clients and carers say, “we want to know can we be doing something, we want a plan, we want to be active in our recovery, or we feel we’re slipping through the gaps” Is this your situation?… .. Click here to read the rest
