How to Position Stroke Patients

Intentional positioning of someone who has suffered a stroke is largely unstudied. The best position for a stroke patient is still unknown, according to the Oxford Journals. But some research exists and more experiments are being conducted and analyzed to determine the effects of various positions. As more conclusions emerge, doctors will be better able to advise on patient positioning.

Instructions

• 1

  Keep the stroke victim on her back immediately following the stroke, to increase the amount of oxygen to the brain, advises a study published in the Oxford Journals (Volume 37, Issue 5). Placing the patient in an upright position produces the least amount of oxygen in the brain, so it is less desirable in the immediate stages following a stroke.

• 2

  Position the patient comfortably during the rehabilitation stages, which will prevent bedsores, reduce stiffness and swelling of the joints and promote healing, according to Stroke Rehab Online.

• 3

  Encourage movement to speed the rehabilitation process. If a patient has experienced loss of movement on a particular side of the body, Stroke Rehab Online suggests placing that side toward the larger or more active part of a room so that the patient must move that side more often, strengthening it.

• 4

  Work with the patient to find a manageable balance between comfortable positions and the more challenging postures that develop strength and coordination.