How to Use Physical Therapy to Rehabilitate a Stroke Victim

Many advances have been made in rehabilitating stroke victims. Where these people were once left to feel helpless and need constant care, they are now being rehabilitated to live a more independent lifestyle thanks to physical therapy. A variety of exercises and treatments help muscles regain strength and control where the stroke took it away.

Instructions

• 1

  Make the stroke victim comfortable, physically and mentally with therapy. This means taking steps to ensure the physical therapy takes place in a familiar place that will allow the patient to feel independent enough to work on his therapy.

• 2

  Incorporate stretching and endurance exercises to the affected limbs. When a stroke hits a victim and the muscles sit unused for even a short period of time, the muscles respond by becoming stiff and shrinking. Stretching brings motion back to the muscles and endurance helps build strength.

• 3

  Apply hot and cold treatments with massages. This loosens stiff muscles and speeds up the reflexes. These therapies reach deep within the muscles and supply much needed stimulation to the muscles. Combining this method with other therapies can work to rebuild motor skills.

• 4

  Practice the motor skill the person has lost. If the legs have been affected, practice walking with the aid of rails and able bodied assistants. The same can be done with upper body motion. Gradually give the stroke victim more responsibility and independence, until he is able to perform these tasks without assistance.

• 5

  Maintain a consistent schedule. The muscles and motor skills can backslide if they are not exercised with physical therapy on a regular basis. Consult your physician or therapist and set up a regimen that best suits the needs of the stroke victim.