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Recovery after a stroke using therapeutic exercises. Recovery after a stroke - physical therapy exercises at home

It is very important to know what exercises to do after a stroke at home. A stroke is a disorder of cerebral circulation. A stroke occurs when there is bleeding in the brain or when blood vessels in the brain become blocked.

Treating a stroke is a long and complex process. During a stroke, the patient experiences paralysis of the limbs, that is, the person simply cannot move. You can restore limb function with exercises after a stroke at home. Physical therapy should be prescribed by a doctor. The doctor is developing a whole system of effective treatment. But the exercises can be done at home. If a person is completely immobile, then training should be carried out by other people. Complex for immobile people:

Bend the arm at the elbow.
Rotation of the brush.
Bend the leg at the knee.
Clenching a fist.
Work with the feet (rotation, straightening, stretching, massage).
Finger gymnastics. It stimulates further restoration of motor functions.

An important factor in recovery is regularity of exercise. Gymnastics must be done at least 3 times a day. The patient also needs fresh air: every day the patient is recommended to organize walks, and the room should be regularly ventilated.

A seriously ill patient spends virtually all his time in bed. Make sure he is comfortable. The mattress should be hard and even. Make sure that bedsores do not form.

Preparing for physical education

Before starting classes, you need to warm up. Heat reduces muscle stiffness and lowers the pain threshold. You can take a bath or warm shower. A popular and effective way to warm up is a heating pad.

Passive gymnastics

From the first weeks after a stroke, you can already start exercising. For the first 2 weeks, patients observe strict bed rest. Gymnastics begins with simple passive recovery exercises, gradually increasing the load. Relatives and doctors should help the patient carry out this complex. Passive exercises are performed while lying down. Here are some of them:

You need to hang a towel over the bed, then put your hand on it. Periodically, the arm needs to be bent and unbent. Also, the motionless arm should be moved to the side for 30 minutes with short breaks.
Alternate leg bending. This will help restore the functions of the lower extremities.
Exercise with a rubber ring (you can do it yourself). The ring is worn on both feet. Then move the elastic band. A useful activity would be to alternately raise your legs.
Unbend the bent upper limb from the fingers and attach it to a hard board. So the hand needs to be fixed for half an hour or even longer.
Exercise for the leg muscles. We place a cushion under the knees and increase the thickness of the cushion over time.
Eye gymnastics. Move your eyes around and to the sides. Repeat 10 times with closed and open eyelids.
Another eye workout: squeeze and unclench your eyelids tightly.

Active therapeutic exercises

When the patient feels better and has the first muscle reactions, then you can begin an active set of exercises. Therapeutic exercise should be accompanied by special procedures and massage. The first active type exercises can also be done in a lying position. Over time, the patient moves into a sitting position.

Initial active physical therapy:

Rotation, head turns, gaze fixation.
Eye training: eye movements, squinting.
Grab the headboard of the bed with your hands and try to pull yourself up.
Turn the torso to the sides.
Raising the pelvis (heels rest on the bed)
Train your fingers: drum on the table, do the splits, open and clench your fists.

Seated exercises are performed to restore arm movement, prepare the lower extremities for walking, and strengthen the back. Seated exercises:

Take a sitting position in bed, lean back on the pillow. Grab the edges of the bed with your hands and straighten your legs. Next, bend over a little, turn your head and inhale. Then lower your torso to the starting position and exhale. Do the exercise slowly. Repeat 5 - 7 times.
While in bed, slowly raise your legs one at a time (3 to 5 times each). Soon you can complicate the exercise: clap under your foot.
Place a pillow under your back. Bend your leg, pull it towards your chest and clasp your knee with your hands. In this position, hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale slowly.
Take your arms back. Try to bring your shoulder blades closer to each other. Tilt your head back. Accompany physical exercise with proper breathing.

After completing a set of exercises while lying down and sitting, you can begin active physical education while standing:

Place a small box on the table. Pick up the item and put it back. Then complicate the task and put the box on the floor. Repeat the steps.
Stand up straight and lower your arms along your body. Raise your arms up and try to pull yourself up.
Turn to the right and left, keeping your hands on your waist.
Tilt your body forward and backward.
Squat. First, a little at a time, gradually increasing the depth of the squat.
Fold your hands into a fist and move them away from your body.
Do the scissors exercise with your hands.
Swing your leg, you can supplement it with clapping under your thigh during the swing.
Walking in place.

Walking occupies a special place in the complex of physical therapy. First, you can try to lift yourself up using a rope tied to the bed. You can sit for 2 - 3 minutes. Next, try lowering your legs out of bed. Then roll the roller and massage your limbs regularly. Take your first steps around the apartment holding onto the wall, then walk with the help of a stick. After each such hike, your limbs will ache. But you need to overcome the pain in order to restore motor functions in the future.

Physical education should be done several times every day. Practice slowly and be sure to monitor your breathing. Training should become a habit and become an integral part of life.

Do breathing exercises. To do this, sit in a chair or lie on your back. Close your nostrils one at a time. Inhale through one nostril and exhale through the other. Breathe long while you have the strength. This is the essence of such physical education. Very soon you will feel warmth and a slight tingling in your chest. This means that gymnastics works. In a month, the abs will become more elastic.

There is such a type of class as Kalmyk yoga. This complex is aimed at combating cerebral circulation disorders. It is carried out at home not only after a stroke, but also for diabetes and high blood pressure. You need to exercise every day.

Usually a yoga course lasts 2 - 3 years. The basics of Kalmyk yoga consist of squatting while holding your breath and bending your torso parallel to the floor. Do 30 - 50 squats several times a day.

"Mental" gymnastics

It is important to carry out not only physical exercises, but also mental ones. “Mental” training helps restore central nervous regulation. Even completely bedridden patients can exercise in the first days after a stroke. Everything is very easy. You need to do physical exercises mentally. Thus, the nervous regulation that controls motor activity is influenced.

Exercise after a stroke is a prerequisite for successful rehabilitation after a brain accident. The set of exercises should be selected by the attending physician individually. Physical exercise creates an optimistic mental state in the patient. This is a necessary condition for the formation of an impulse of will. Before starting a set of exercises, you need to normalize your blood pressure and pulse. Remember that complete immobility of the body is dangerous for the development of congestive pneumonia. A patient after a stroke needs to perform the most basic exercises: turning over on his side, flexion and extension of the affected limbs. Remember that more complex exercises can be performed no earlier than six months after the stroke. If you experience discomfort during exercise, stop exercising until normal breathing is restored. Be sure to monitor your pulse and blood pressure.

Some effective exercises for exercise after a stroke:

- Awakening. You need to lie on your back on a hard mattress. Twist your pelvis so that one heel is as far forward as possible, and the other behind. At the same time, do not lift your feet from the surface. Your hands should repeat the movements at this time. Hold the pose for 10-15 seconds if possible. Do 3-4 repetitions. Then rest. Exercise awakens the body, normalizes blood pressure, and massages the kidneys.

- Explosion. Clench your fists. Press your bent arms to your chest and close your eyes. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, you need to open your eyes and unclench your fists. Straighten your arms with strength. Lie down for a while. Remember that when you exhale you need to try to reset all the accumulated negativity. As you inhale, imagine that your body is filled with positive energy. When you master the exercise, improve it: extend not only your arms, but also your legs as you inhale and exhale.

- Stretching. You will need outside help to complete the exercise. Take a sitting position on the bed. The head should move toward the knees, while the hands hold the shins. The assistant should press on your shoulders to bend you. Hold the position for a few seconds. Then restore your breathing. The exercise helps the patient stretch the spine; it stimulates the flow of neural impulses from the head to the feet.

- Bows. The exercise can only be done 6 months after the stroke. It needs to be done in bed. Sit on your knees. In this case, the tailbone should be at the heels. Keep your hands on your knees. Watch your breathing. It should be smooth, calm and deep. Close your eyes. Smoothly lower your torso as you exhale. Reach the extreme point and, while inhaling, slowly return to the starting position. Restore calm breathing. You need to do the exercise 5-6 times. This is a basic exercise that people with any vascular disorders of the brain should perform.

For patients who have suffered a stroke, a mandatory period of rehabilitation is indicated to restore lost skills - walking, speaking, self-care. For this purpose, physical therapy classes, speech and memory training are conducted. They are most effective when combined with dietary nutrition, drug treatment, and supplemented with folk remedies.

Read in this article

Life after a stroke: periods of recovery

Rehabilitation of a patient after an acute cerebrovascular accident involves a gradual increase in loads. First, stabilization of the condition is required. As a rule, patients are discharged after 20–25 days of hospital treatment. At home, you can start exercising, provided that you have managed to normalize your symptoms and there is no severe weakness or depressive reactions.

Rehabilitation up to 3 months

The early period after a stroke is considered the most important, since at this time the maximum restoration of functions occurs. At this stage it is possible to achieve:

sitting independently, standing near the bed, going to the toilet, dressing and eating;
maintaining personal hygiene;
control over the functioning of the bladder and intestines;
improving vision and speech;
the appearance of sensitivity.

With proper treatment, by the end of 2 months the patient can stand on his feet and maintain balance. When walking, support in the form of a walker or stick is required. It is important to organize physical therapy classes at least 2 - 3 times a day. The set of exercises consists of sequentially working out all muscle groups on both the healthy and the affected side; it is first necessary to warm up the muscle tissue and eliminate spasm.

Restoring a hand after a stroke

Period up to six months

After self-care skills have been restored (in full or partial), more significant walking training begins. First, with the help of a relative or instructor, and then independently, the patient must confidently move around the apartment and go for a walk.

The first weeks require mandatory support, and in the future it is necessary to ensure the possibility of emergency communication with the patient. It must be remembered that there is no complete guarantee that there will be no relapse of the disease or a sudden fall even after a period of successful recovery.

At first, short walks and walking on stairs are necessary, and by the end of the 6th month it is recommended to abandon devices and outside assistance. The patient must have full command of cutlery, the ability to write, memorize and reproduce coherent texts. Therapeutic gymnastics includes weights (light dumbbells, plastic bottles of water, sand bags on the limbs).

Recovery after a stroke up to a year

Walks in the fresh air are becoming longer and longer - from 1.5 to 2 or more hours. They should alternate with rest; overwork should not be allowed. Speech in this period is usually restored or less confused. It is important to develop fine motor skills of the fingers. To do this, they use sewing, knitting, weaving, playing musical instruments, and putting together puzzles.

Up to 18 months, almost 90% of patients can do without assistance, provided they fully comply with medical recommendations:

daily training;
proper nutrition;
taking prescribed medications;
giving up bad habits;
control blood pressure and blood sugar.

Exercises for rehabilitation after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke

Physical activity is given the main place in the recovery of patients. It is important to ensure systematic training and the introduction of at least 2 workouts into the daily routine. Be sure to start the exercises on the healthy side and then alternate them with the affected limbs. When fatigue appears, a pause is necessary, several breathing cycles with exhalation stretching, and then you can continue the exercises.

To reduce spasm

Muscle spasticity is reduced when performing a special complex using the Bobath method. All movements are smooth and slow, repeated first three and then five times:

the thumb is retracted to a right angle, in this position you need to stay for up to 3 minutes;
stretching the remaining fingers of the hand;
with the thumb extended and held, bend and straighten the hand, the whole arm at the shoulder;
when fixing the thumb, the hand is abducted to the side and adducted (with the help of a therapeutic exercise instructor or a relative);
stretch and pull your big toe towards you, fix the position for 2 minutes or longer until the muscles completely relax;
Lie on your back, bend your knee. If this movement is difficult, then you should tap your hand under the knee. Pull the foot to the side and down by the big toe.

Bobath therapy

For upper limb

Movement in the arm is restored worse than in the affected leg. A feature of paralysis is the disruption of the deltoid muscle, which fixes the shoulder joint. When the patient begins to sit, stand or walk, the hanging arm can, under its own weight, cause stretching of the joint capsule and dislocation. To strengthen the shoulder use:

moving the arm to the side;
circular movements of the shoulders alternately and together;
lifting the shoulders up and dropping down;
abduction and dilation of the shoulder blades;
sitting or standing with straightened arms, show open palms and turn the back of the hands (supination and pronation).

After the shoulder, they move on to the elbow joint (flexion, slow extension with fixation) and the wrist. You need to use your brush as often as possible, as it takes longer to recover. To do this, you can use any position - lying, sitting or standing, first you should help yourself with your healthy hand. Movements are carried out in all directions and planes - bending, side turns, circular rotations in both directions, imitation of screwing in a light bulb.

For developing legs

First you need to perform flexion and extension in the hip joint, knee and foot in a lying position. If the patient can stand, then add hip circles and knee rotations. The following complex is recommended in bed:

bring your leg bent at the knee towards you and then straighten it completely;
lying with straight legs, move the affected limb to the side and return to the starting position;
sliding your heels on the bed;
imitate riding a bicycle (on the weakened side, first with outside help);
lift your legs one by one using a belt or rubber bandage.

Watch the video about exercises for developing legs:

Recovery Equipment

In the rehabilitation process, special devices provide significant assistance; they are purchased in specialized medical equipment stores. They are designed taking into account movement disorders on one side of the body; more advanced models have feedback functions that help set an individual tinting regime.

The most common varieties are:

exercise bike for legs;
treadmill with side rails;

Manual exercise bike

Also, a variety of improvised means can be no less effective - an expander, a rubber bandage attached to a static object or closed in a ring, an ordinary mop stick, a ball, parallel bars, steps. An inflatable pillow is used to train balance, first while sitting and then standing. To develop a brush, plasticine and beans are useful, from which you need to lay out a figure.

Speech rehabilitation

The most intensive restoration of speech function is observed in the first six months from the beginning; it can last up to 2–3 years in case of extensive lesions or untimely treatment. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, patients experience either a motor or sensory form of speech impairment (aphasia). In the first option, the patient:

hears speech, perceives it by ear;
understands words addressed to him;
responds to requests;
cannot pronounce a phrase or formulate a thought;
Difficulties arise when reading and writing, so patients avoid them.

Watch the video about exercises for speech restoration with motor aphasia:

With sensory aphasia, the patient does not pay attention to the speech of others, his own words are incoherent and are not controlled by him. Reading is possible, but the meaning of the continuations is unclear, the writing skill is completely lost. Human speech is characterized by insufficient meaningfulness and gesticulation. Since patients try to explain their thoughts to others, but they do not understand, this leads to irritability and resentment.

The following techniques are used for speech rehabilitation:

cards with written letters, syllables and words from which you need to compose and read a sentence;
encouragement to communicate - questions, requests, singing together, reciting poetry;
listening to the patient’s favorite audio books with a retelling of their contents;
viewing pictures and asking them to describe them.

If speech restoration is carried out at home, then it is important for relatives to maintain a friendly attitude towards even minor attempts to pronounce words, not to correct mistakes, but only to encourage patients. Overcoming a speech defect requires persistence and constant communication with the patient.

Watch the video about exercises for speech restoration with sensory aphasia:

Nutrition after stroke

Since in the vast majority of cases patients with stroke have a tendency to atherosclerosis, then it is recommended to avoid the use of:

fatty meat (pork, lamb);
meat broths;
any animal fat;
offal;
cream and sour cream, cottage cheese containing more than 10% fat, cheese with more than 40% fat content;
sausages, sausages, sausages, semi-finished products.

With high blood pressure, minimize the amount of table salt to 3 - 4 g per day. It is recommended to sharply reduce the content of white flour and sugar, alcohol, and caffeine in the diet.

The basis of dietary nutrition is fresh or boiled vegetables, fruits, cereals, wholemeal bread with bran.

The source of protein should be:

boiled fish;
boiled, minced or baked chicken or turkey meat;
fermented milk drinks;
low-fat varieties of cottage cheese and cheese;
seafood.

Vegetable oil should be added to salads; frying with it is not recommended. You can also put no more than a tablespoon of sour cream or cream, 5 g of butter per day into the finished dish.

Folk remedies

The role of herbal medicines in recovery after a stroke is associated with the presence of the following medicinal properties:

There is a recipe for collecting from plants, which has undergone clinical trials; patients were observed for 8 years after a stroke.

It was noted that in the group of patients who took medications (antiplatelet agents, nootropics) and additionally drank a decoction of herbs 2 times a day, the risk of repeated acute circulatory disorders significantly decreased, almost all patients noted an improvement in their well-being - headaches, dizziness disappeared or decreased, increased physical and mental performance.

To prepare a decoction you need to take the following parts of plants (in tablespoons of crushed raw materials):

A tablespoon of the mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water and heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, then cooled to room temperature, and the broth is filtered. You need to drink it warmed up 30 minutes before meals. If medications are prescribed, then the break between them and herbs should be at least an hour. Reception lasts a month, then a 2-week break. This treatment takes a long time.

Recovery of patients after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke takes from several months to several years. Therefore, it is important to know what techniques can be used at home.

To improve movements in the limbs, therapeutic gymnastics is used, which is supplemented with exercises on simulators. Speech rehabilitation includes training in auditory and visual perception of words, and encouragement to communicate. A necessary condition for successful treatment is a properly selected diet and a combination of drug therapy with herbal preparations.

Preparatory period for exercise therapy

The benefits of exercise leave no doubt - any movement in a paralyzed part of the body accelerates the blood, prevents its stagnation, and at the same time restores muscle memory.

You cannot hope that only a complex of exercise therapy, or only drug treatment, will save you from a stroke. It is necessary to adhere to a comprehensive rehabilitation course.

At the beginning of hospital treatment, physical exercises and patient care are carried out by doctors. However, upon discharge, the daily burden is transferred to the shoulders of relatives. Therefore, it is recommended to save or learn a reminder on how to properly assist a patient. Here are the rules for consistent physical intervention after a stroke:

If the patient is paralyzed during an ischemic attack (even one side of the body), the first 2 weeks can only influence the muscle complex with a competent change of position.
Turn the patient over in bed every 2-3 hours to avoid bedsores and blood stagnation.
After a week or two, they switch to passive types of load, produced through the influence of a nurse or relatives. Their goal is to relax the muscles and prepare them for further stress.
As soon as the patient achieves the first movement in the paralyzed limb, they move on to active activities. First time - in bed, then getting up and moving on to slow walks.

During the rehabilitation period after a stroke, relatives are required to be attentive and regularly perform exercises. One must be prepared to devote at least 2-3 hours at intervals throughout the day to the patient's rehabilitation program.

It is important to understand that the exercises for strokes given below as an example are designed for a general case. And for each individual anamnesis, it is necessary to calculate their intensity.

Massage and passive exercise after stroke

Before starting exercise therapy, the patient’s paralyzed limbs are massaged. There are rules for conducting massage procedures that are common to everyone:

Before exercise, you should warm up the skin and stimulate blood flow with gentle circular movements.
When performing a massage, move your arms from the hand to the shoulder, and move your legs from the foot to the hips.
The back is massaged using slightly sharper movements - tapping and pinching, but without using force.
When kneading your chest, you need to move in a circular motion from the center outward, using light pressure.

Now that the patient’s body is ready for exercise, they move on to passive physical education. Here are some basic manipulations for paralyzed limbs after a stroke, performed by relatives:

Flexion and extension of arms or legs: the patient should lie on his back. The limb should be raised and bent at the joint so that when extended it slides along the bed. In this way, the legs restore motor memory.
Exercises with a wide elastic band (the width of an elastic bandage, 40 cm) help. A ring is sewn from it according to the diameter of the legs and put on both limbs. Next, move the simulator up, simultaneously lifting or massaging the legs. Or do the same with the arms, in an upward position, with an elastic band on, the patient must bend and unbend his arms at the wrist joint.
The patient can do the following independently: the immobile limb is suspended on a tape or towel so that the patient can swing or even rotate the limb in a loop.

You should remember to be systematic: any therapeutic exercises should be performed for 40 minutes twice, and after the 2nd week three times a day.

A new remedy for the rehabilitation and prevention of stroke, which is surprisingly highly effective - Monastic Collection. The monastic collection really helps fight the consequences of a stroke. Among other things, tea keeps blood pressure normal.

Mental exercise

We must not forget that muscle memory controls the limbs. Remember the film by Quentin Tarantino, in which the paralyzed heroine of Uma Thurman lived for hours on end with one thought: to make the toe on her paralyzed leg move. We know the outcome because by the middle of the picture she was already running along the walls. This example inspires both hope and incentive: you need to do not only passive, but also mental gymnastics.

When influencing regenerating nerve cells in the brain, you need to repeat the command many times. If it is difficult for the patient to master this, it is necessary for relatives to pronounce the command out loud and force the patient to repeat it: “I move my toe,” etc. This method of suggestion has another advantage - rehabilitation of the patient’s neurological condition and speech apparatus.

Transition to exercise therapy in a sitting position

Approximately in the third week of rehabilitation, it is time to start exercises, when the patient has assumed a sitting position:

You should start with the eye muscles - moving the eyeballs from top to bottom, from right to left and diagonally. Alternate between closed and open eyelids. In addition to muscle memory, it normalizes blood pressure.
After the eye gymnastics are completed, you need to relieve tension by closing your eyes tightly and opening your eyelids, repeat 10-15 times.
Next – head rotations and neck exercises. On each side, at a slow, not sharp pace, repeat 6-8 times.
If one side was affected by a stroke, you should try to perform symmetrical movements with the moving hand with your stationary hand. For example, lie on your back and try to raise both arms and rotate your hands at the same time.
Grasping movements are required for finger motor skills. You can get a set of expanders of varying densities.
The same goes for the feet: extend and contract towards yourself, trying to achieve movement in both limbs.

Gradually, in a sitting position, you can move on to more amplitude options: lifting yourself, using the headboard and belt. Lifting the limbs, first 3-4 times. Reduction of the shoulder blades in a sitting position – 5-6 times. And so on, under the supervision of loved ones.

We perform exercise therapy while standing

There are already many more options that include physical education for arms and legs in a standing position. Therefore, we present a set of “basic exercises” on which all gymnastics are built:

Straight stance - arms at your sides, feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms as you inhale, lower them in a circular motion as you exhale. The course of movements is from 4 to 6 times.
Torso turns - legs spread wider, inhale on a count of one, exhale on a count of two, and slowly twist the torso to the side. Repeat on both sides at least 5 times.
Squats: as you exhale, try to squat without lifting your heels. Hands are extended forward. Inhale at the bottom and rise on the second exhale. The goal is to maintain balance and stretch the muscle group of the legs. Repeat – from 4 to 8 times.
Tilts: feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the belt. As you exhale, tilt to the right or left, the opposite arm reaches up.
A good exercise for arms and legs at once is swings: the arm is extended, and the leg is moved to the side. The amplitude is small, it is advisable to lean on the headboard with your other hand, for example. The main principle is not to hold your breath, repeat on each leg up to 7-8 times.
Raising your legs on your toes, rotating your wrist or ankle, locking your arms behind your back - these exercises are a good way to warm up your joints.

The set of exercises for stroke necessarily includes daily walking. To exercise your arms and give your legs work, you can walk with ski poles in your hands. Thus, there is always support and additional therapeutic cardio exercise is performed.

In our country it has increased in recent years. But about 70–80% of all cases are of the ischemic type of the disease, which is easier to treat. Patients have a good chance of restoring the victim’s full or partial legal capacity. Exercise therapy after a stroke, which is prescribed by the attending physician, plays a huge role here.

The main and mandatory stage of rehabilitation is performing special exercises.

There are different physical exercises targeted at the appropriate cases and complications after attacks. Only a specialist should decide what training to conduct and with what intensity. You need to engage in active and passive physical activity, and properly prepare for classes.

Preparatory stage

Before starting exercise therapy after a stroke, a person needs a period of adaptation and preparation. Any exercise that is included in physical therapy will be beneficial. The impact on paralyzed areas of the body accelerates the blood, prevents its stagnation, and restores muscle memory. Yes, for rehabilitation after a stroke it is not enough to simply do different exercises periodically. Recovery is carried out comprehensively, including physiotherapeutic procedures, medications, classes with a speech therapist, etc.

First, training is carried out in a hospital setting, where the patient is admitted after a stroke. Specialists will monitor and assist in performing the exercises. After discharge, responsibility falls on the patient himself and his relatives who will care for him.

Preparation for exercise therapy after a stroke requires compliance with the following rules:

If afterward the person is partially or completely paralyzed, during the first 15 to 20 days the effect on the muscles will be carried out only by changing the position of the body. This must be done carefully and according to the recommendations given by the doctor.
It is recommended to turn the patient over once every 2–3 hours. This way it is possible to avoid the formation of bedsores and prevent blood stagnation.
Depending on the current condition of the patient, passive therapeutic exercises after a stroke begin 1 to 2 weeks later. If relatives do not know how to do it, it is recommended to seek the help of a nurse. She will show and tell you how to do it, after which your loved ones will be able to do everything on their own. The purpose of such physical education is to relax the muscles and prepare them for subsequent loads.
When the patient manages to make the first movement of a limb that has been paralyzed, you can move on to active exercises. At first only in bed, but gradually the person will be able to walk and move around without assistance.

With positive dynamics of recovery and proper adherence to the rules of rehabilitation, even treatment at home will allow. Not always 100%, but the chances after an ischemic attack are good.

Exercises

All physical exercises intended for rehabilitation after a stroke given below are exemplary. Each case is unique and has its own characteristics. Therefore, a set of exercises is selected based on a specific situation. They may differ in types of activities, intensity and frequency.

When planning exercise therapy classes for stroke, the set of exercises should include:

massage and passive physical activity;
mental exercises;
exercises in a sitting position;
loads in a standing position.

All this is done gradually, moving on to more complex activities when positive results are achieved at the previous stage. There is no need to rush and try to get up literally after the first weeks of exercise. Recovery takes time. If you practice correctly and consistently, you will achieve excellent results, the patient will be able to return to normal life and get rid of dependence on other people in their daily activities.

Mental exercises

It’s worth starting with mental exercise. Such gymnastics is based on the fact that we control our limbs using muscle memory. The body needs to be helped to remember what it could do before the stroke. To influence the affected cells and tissues of your body, you need to repeat the command to them, using the power of thought to force your finger to move. These are not some actions related to self-belief. This is a real scientific fact and a method that helps in rehabilitation. In addition to restoring muscle tissue and limb mobility, mental exercise additionally affects the neurological condition of the patient and affects the functioning of the speech apparatus.

Massage

Here you will need the help of loved ones who can always be there and help the patient return to normal life. Massage is necessary to prepare a person’s paralyzed limbs for upcoming stress. There are several basic rules to follow:

Before each exercise therapy session, the skin is thoroughly warmed up so that blood flows to the limbs. You need to massage in circular smooth movements.
When the arms are massaged, the procedure begins from the hand and moves towards the shoulder. If these are legs, then the starting point will be the foot, and the massage should end on the hips.
When working with the back, more physical effort is applied and sharper movements are used. It is recommended to knock and pinch the skin, but gently.
When preparing the chest area, movements should be circular, directed from the center. Apply gentle pressure to your chest, but not too much.

This complex is carried out before exercises to prepare the body for subsequent loads.

Relatives or close people will have to do passive exercises after a stroke at home with the patient. Let's consider several basic classes that are aimed at gradually restoring the mobility of the limbs.

We bend the limbs and smoothly straighten them. These could be arms and legs. The patient is placed on his back. The leg or arm is raised and bent at the joint. This is done so that during the process of extension the limb slides along the surface of the bed. This helps restore muscle memory.
We use elastic bands or bandages approximately 40 cm wide. They are used to make a ring, the diameter of which will allow both legs to fit there. The elastic band is lifted up, while simultaneously massaging the legs. Do the same with your hands, fixing them in an elastic band at the top. With these elastic bands on the hands, the patient needs to bend and straighten his limbs. The impact is on the wrist joint.
As an independent passive exercise, the patient can suspend the affected limb using a wide band. This way he will be able to move or rotate them in a loop.

Such exercises for recovery after a stroke will give results if you adhere to the rules of systematicity. In the first 2 weeks, when the doctor allows you to gradually switch to passive gymnastics, it is carried out twice a day. One session lasts 40 minutes. From the beginning of the 3rd week of home rehabilitation, the number of sessions is increased to 3 per day with the same duration.

Exercises in a sitting position

If physical therapy after a stroke brings results and the person manages to sit down, then the stage of sitting exercises begins.

We train our eyes. The eye muscles also need to be restored. To do this, the apples (eyeballs) are moved from top to bottom, right and left, and in a diagonal direction. Such movements are performed first with eyes closed, and then with open ones. This further helps restore normal blood pressure.
Relieving tension after the previous procedure. Close your eyes tightly and open your eyelids. For the initial stages, 10–15 repetitions are enough.
We turn our heads. Helps restore the function of the neck muscles. Rotations are performed alternately in different directions for 5–10 repetitions.
If half of the body is paralyzed, with the help of a movable hand they take the stationary one, making various symmetrical, neat movements with it. The patient can lie on his back, try to lift both limbs at the same time, or simply rotate his hands.
Don't forget about grasping movements. Restore motor skills of affected fingers. Resistance bands will help here. They have different densities. Start with the most elastic ones, gradually increasing the load.
Work on the feet. In a sitting position, the feet are extended and returned to their original position. You should try to move both limbs at once if one of them is paralyzed.

If such physical therapy after a stroke brings positive dynamics, the work on restoring the body can be complicated. Without the help of others, you need to try to get up on your own, leaning on the headboard or a fixed belt. The limbs are raised gradually. Don't try to do 10-20 repetitions at once. Start with one full lift and gradually increase the intensity.

Relatives should always be there to help physically and support mentally. When a patient sees how others rejoice at his successes and show sincere interest, this inspires and encourages the person, giving him an incentive to do not 5, but 6 repetitions tomorrow. Step by step, you can regain mobility and overcome paralysis.

Standing exercises

There are many more of them than sitting exercises. The transition to a standing position indicates serious achievements in the restoration of stroke-affected limbs. Therefore, this is a reason for pride in the progress achieved for the patient. Let's look at basic recovery exercises, which serve as the basis for creating an individual list of activities.

We stand up straight, put our hands at our sides, and our feet at the shoulder width familiar from school. As you inhale, raise your arms up; as you exhale, move them down in a circular motion. In one approach you need to do 3–6 repetitions.
We turn the torso to the sides. The legs are positioned at shoulder width. We inhale once, exhale twice, slowly twisting the torso to one side. The exercise is repeated at least 5 times in each direction.
Let's squat. Useful and effective exercise. Try to squat as you exhale, keeping your heels parallel to the ground and without lifting them off the floor. At the same time, the arms are extended forward. In the lower position we inhale, and as we exhale we rise to the starting position. The main task of such physical education is maintaining balance. Try to repeat at least 4 – 10 squats.
We bend our torso. Feet are placed shoulder-width apart, and hands are placed on the waist. Exhaling, we tilt to the right or left, while simultaneously stretching the opposite arm upward.
Mahi. They help to have a comprehensive effect on the arms and legs. Extend your arm while swinging your legs in different directions. Maintain a small amplitude, holding on to some kind of handrail or bed headboard with your other hand. Do not hold your breath while performing the exercise. For each leg, 5–8 repetitions.
We rise on our toes, make rotational movements with our hands, ankles, and lock our hands, placing them behind our backs. Simple but effective exercises that help restore joint mobility.

In addition to the physical education complex, every day after the patient regains the ability to move, it is recommended to take a walk. Start with short walks around the apartment, and then go outside. Exercises using ski poles help a lot. They give you confidence in your abilities, act as additional support and allow you to gradually move on to walking without their help.

But do not overload yourself, even if you see positive dynamics in rehabilitation. Don't strive for any sports results. The body needs proper rest combined with maintaining body tone.

Rules for competent recovery

The gymnastic exercises suggested by the doctor for a healthy person will seem elementary. But after suffering a stroke, the patient begins to learn everything all over again. Therefore, the loads are heavy for him, and it takes time for them to be given easily and naturally, as before the attack.

In order for physical therapy to bring only benefits, rely on several important rules:

A comprehensive and positive approach to treatment allows for positive recovery dynamics. A big role is played by the people surrounding the person who... If they show patience, help psychologically and take part in treatment, the patient himself will want to recover faster. Even small successes should be rewarded. But don’t forget to show that behind every new small achievement lies a big success. This will give you an incentive not to stop.

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