Stroke Rehabilitation Methods

What Are Stroke Rehabilitation Methods?

1. Active Movement

When the dysfunction limb can raise itself actively, the focus of training should be on correcting abnormal postures. Limb paralysis often comes with abnormal movement mode after stroke besides the weakening of strength. And it could be in both upper and lower limbs.

2. Sit-up Training

Sitting position is the basis of walking and daily life activities. If the patient can sit up, it will bring great convenience for eating, defecation & urination and upper limb movement.

3. Preparation Training before Standing

Let the patient sit on the edge of the bed, with legs separated on the ground, and with the support of upper limbs, the body slowly tilts to the left and right. He/she alternately uses the healthy upper limb to lift the dysfunction upper limb, and then uses the healthy lower limb to lift the dysfunction lower limb. 5-6 seconds each time.

4. Standing Training

During training, family members must pay attention to the patient’s standing posture, let his/her feet stand in parallel with a fist distance in the middle. In addition, the knee joint cannot be bent or overextended, the soles of his feet are completely on the ground, and the toes cannot be hooked to the ground. Practice for 10-20 minutes each time, 3-5 times a day.

5. Walking Training

For hemiplegia patients, walking training is difficult, and family members should give confidence and encourage patients to keep exercising. If it is difficult for the dysfunction limb to step forward, take mark time training first. After that, practice walking slowly and gradually, and then train patient to walk independently. Family members can help patients to move their dysfunction limbs forward for 5-10 meters each time.

6. Step-up and Step-down Training

After practicing balance on flat ground, patients can take step-up and step-down training.  At the beginning, there must be protection and assistance.

7. Training of Trunk Core Strength

Exercises such as rollovers, sit-ups, sitting balance, and bridge exercises are also very important. They can improve trunk stability and lay a good foundation for standing and walking.

8. Speech Therapy

Some stroke patients, especially those with right-sided hemiplegia, often have language understanding or expression disorders. Family members should strengthen non-verbal communication with patients in the early stage, such as smiling, stroking, and hugging. It is important to stimulate patients’ desire to speak from the issues they care about the most.

Language practice should also follow the step-by-step principle. First, practice the pronunciation of [a], [i], [u] and whether to express it or not. For those who are in serious aphasia and unable to pronounce, use nodding and shaking head instead of voice expression. Gradually carry out counting, retelling and lip induction exercises, from noun to verb, from single word to sentence, and gradually improve the patient’s verbal expression ability.