25/06/2025
Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in stroke rehabilitation, focusing on restoring movement, improving balance, and enhancing functional abilities. Treatment plans are tailored to individual needs and may include exercises to strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and regain mobility. Early intervention, often starting within 24 hours of a stroke, is key to maximizing recovery potential.
Key aspects of physiotherapy for stroke patients:
Restoring movement:
Physiotherapists use various techniques to help patients regain movement in affected limbs, including range of motion exercises, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
Improving balance and coordination:
Balance and coordination exercises are essential for regaining stability and preventing falls, which are common after a stroke.
Enhancing functional abilities:
Physiotherapy focuses on helping patients relearn everyday activities like sitting, standing, walking, and transferring between positions.
Addressing spasticity and pain:
Physiotherapists can help manage muscle stiffness (spasticity), pain, and other musculoskeletal problems that may arise after a stroke.
Providing assistive devices:
Physiotherapists may recommend and train patients on the use of assistive devices like canes, walkers, or orthotics to improve mobility and independence.
Promoting independence:
The overall goal is to help patients regain as much independence as possible in their daily lives.
Specific techniques and approaches:
Gait training:
Walking retraining is a crucial component of physiotherapy, with therapists using various techniques to improve walking patterns, speed, and endurance.
Manual therapy:
This involves hands-on techniques to improve joint mobility, reduce muscle stiffness, and promote circulation.
Constraint-induced
movement therapy:
This therapy involves restricting the use of the unaffected limb to encourage the use of the affected limb.
Functional electrical stimulation (FES):
FES can be used to stimulate muscles and improve muscle contractions, particularly in individuals with weakness or paralysis.
Virtual reality and robotics:
These technologies can provide engaging and motivati
