With all the stroke rehabilitation treatment options available, how do you know which one is best for you? Because every stroke is different, each person responds differently to each modality. Therefore, it is important that you work with treatment your rehab team to create a comprehensive treatment plan that meets your needs.
To help you have an informed discussion with your therapists, this guide provides a comprehensive list of stroke rehabilitation methods to help you find the best treatments for your needs.
Table of contents:
- The best treatment for stroke rehabilitation
- Methods for restoring motion function
- Modalities for cognitive rehabilitation
What is the best treatment for stroke rehabilitation?
If you are looking for the best treatment for stroke rehabilitation, the answer is that the best treatment varies from person to person.
Every stroke is different, and every patient will have different secondary sequelae. For example, some patients suffer from disorders of their arm and leg mobility, while others have impaired speech and speech function. Therefore, the best stroke rehabilitation treatment will vary from person to person due to individual impairments and affected functions.
Instead of wondering what is the best treatment for stroke rehabilitation, try to ask yourself different questions, such as:
- What secondary sequelae do I have after my stroke?
- What therapies have I already received and what has benefited me the most?
- What rehabilitation methods will I be able to use regularly?
These questions will guide you to the best stroke rehabilitation treatments for you.
However, choosing between the available treatment modalities can be challenging. The rest of this guide will explain what rehabilitation methods are available so you can see what can help you with your individual goals.
Let’s start with the current stroke rehabilitation treatments:Stroke rehabilitation methods
Here’s an overview of some popular and effective stroke rehabilitation treatments that can help maximize recovery of motor functions after a stroke. Following this section, we will discuss cognitive rehabilitation. Rehabilitation exercises
Movement exercises for stroke patients are the be-all and end-all of rehabilitation. During inpatient rehabilitation, patients work with their therapists to perform intensive training of various physiotherapy and occupational therapy exercises.
After discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, patients often have a therapist appointment once a week during outpatient rehabilitation. They are often given written exercise sheets to practice at home between sessions.
However, studies show that these exercise sheets have a poor rate of therapy adherence, suggesting that other more appealing stroke rehabilitation treatments may help improve adherence to a home rehab program. Passive rehabilitation exercises
For people with hemiplegia, passive movements are a great treatment for stroke rehabilitation. These are movements that are not initiated by your muscles. Instead, a therapist or trained caregiver will move your limbs for you, or you can use your unaffected page to support your affected side.
This rehabilitation method is particularly helpful in hemiplegia because it gets the affected limbs moving and prevents learned non-use – a condition that occurs when mobility continues to deteriorate due to neglect. Best of all, even though you don’t initiate the movement yourself, the passive exercises still stimulate the parts of the brain involved in muscle movement.
In other words, even if you don’t initiate the movement yourself, the passive movements help reconnect the brain and promote recovery of movement function. Home neurorehabilitation equipment
If you’re looking for a way to stay motivated for your home therapy, Flint Rehab has two gamified neurorehabilitation devices that help restore movement functions after a stroke.
The first device is the MusicGlove, a music-based, sensory glove that helps you train your affected hand. A randomized controlled trial has shown that the MusicGlove improves hand function within just 2 weeks when used consistently.
The second neurorehabilitation device is the FitMi, which includes two motion-sensitive “pucks” that track your movements as you follow the prescribed rehabilitation exercises on the screen.
Although randomized controlled trials are still ongoing, the FitMi is already being used in some of the leading American clinics such as the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, the premier rehab hospital in the USA.
These motion-sensitive neurorehabilitation devices motivate you to achieve a high repetition rate of your rehab exercise, which helps reconnect your brain through neuroplasticity. The devices are an excellent home therapy program that you can use with your therapist between visits. Mirror therapy
Mirror therapy is a promising modality for stroke patients who suffer from severely limited mobility or even paralysis of their affected hand. It works by placing a table mirror over your affected hand and performing hand therapy exercises with the unaffected hand. The endoscopy “tricks” the brain into thinking that you are moving both hands, which supports the rewiring of the brain.
The most promising element of mirror therapy is that it has helped people without any mobility of the hand to regain their mobility. It’s best to start this rehabilitation modality with your therapist, who can show you how it works and recommend exercises. You can then buy your own table mirror to continue practicing at home. Stimulation
Electrostimulation is a rehabilitation method that is particularly useful for severe mobility impairments and even stroke-related paralysis. It works by placing electrodes on the skin and sending electrical impulses directly to the affected muscles. Not only does this help stimulate the brain, but it initiates movements in the affected muscles, which is helpful for patients with paralysis.
For best results, you should combine electrostimulation with rehabilitation exercises. This promotes better recovery of movement functions than electrostimulation alone.
When you start electrostimulation, you should practice under the supervision of your therapist. He/she can show you where to place the electrodes and how to operate the device safely.
(Also read: The Best Rehab Equipment for Safe Home Recovery) Mental exercises
Mental exercises are another treatment option for stroke rehabilitation, which is ideal for individuals with severely limited mobility or paralysis. They involve mentally imagining moving. You can imagine doing your rehab exercises or other types of exercise, such as walking across a lawn or along a sandy beach.
Studies have shown that the mental exercises trigger changes in the areas of the brain that control movements, such as the motor and premotor areas. It also shows that the combination of mental and physical exercises improves mobility more than physical exercises alone.
The mental exercises are simple, non-invasive, free and accessible to everyone. They are the perfect complement to any stroke rehabilitation, especially for patients recovering from paralysis.Cognitive treatments for stroke rehabilitation