Young female nurse sitting with senior male patient

Physical Therapy for Stroke Patients: Recovery Treatment Tips

Have you or your elderly loved one recently suffered from a stroke? If so, you may be wondering about the best options for treatment or recovery. With more than 50 percent of all strokes occurring in seniors over the age of 75, high-quality stroke rehabilitation for elderly patients is especially important. When it comes to post-stroke rehabilitation, communities like Highland Rehabilitation and Health Care Center can help you or your loved one move through the stroke recovery stages with ease and get back on your feet to reclaim your quality of life.

How Long is Physical Therapy After a Stroke?

People often wonder, how long is physical therapy after a stroke? It’s important to note that every individual’s post-stroke recovery is different, and really, recovery has no end date. Some individuals may recover within a few months, while others have longer-lasting side effects that require therapy for an extended period of time – months, or even years!

According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 70 percent of patients recover from stroke in the first three months due to spontaneous recovery. For a more efficient recovery, experts generally advocate for rehabilitation to begin as soon as you are medically stable enough to participate, taking advantage of the period of early stroke recovery. Beginning rehabilitation as soon as possible can help maximize functional gains; however, for elderly patients, caution must be exercised to ensure you are able to tolerate the level of intensity of the rehabilitation program.

What Kind of Therapy is Needed After a Stroke?

Post-stroke rehabilitation might include a combination of therapies, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy. Check out the National Stroke Association’s Stroke Recovery Guide for a more in-depth look at the recovery process and what to expect following a stroke.

Physical Therapy: Physical therapy interventions for stroke patients might include exercises to improve muscle strength and coordination or special training to teach you to use mobility aids like a walker, cane, ankle brace or wheelchair. Physical therapy might also include efforts to practice moving the affected limbs, with or without assistance, or range-of-motion therapy to help tense muscles begin to relax. Exercise for stroke patients with paralysis will likely focus on passive exercises, where the therapist moves the affected limb for you to help stimulate muscle memory.
Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy exercises for stroke patients focus on reteaching skills like personal grooming and cooking – skills that can help you get back to living your normal life more quickly.
Speech Therapy: For some individuals, post-stroke recovery will need to focus on correcting issues with communication, thinking or swallowing that have occurred due to the brain injury. The therapist will work with you to help you relearn to speak by training your face and mouth muscles to form proper sounds; they can also help with language processing issues to make it easier to understand others in conversation.

Recover Sooner at Highland Rehab

Selecting an experienced rehabilitation community for your post-stroke recovery is important, as research shows an association between a greater intensity of stroke rehabilitation and improved outcomes for patients. Rehab communities like Highland Rehabilitation are ideal because they include multidisciplinary teams of medical professionals all working together and focused on one thing: your recovery.

Unsure of what kind of post-stroke therapy you need? We offer physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for stroke patients, along with personalized care plans based on your individual needs and health goals. Our team of experienced health care professionals will work closely with your physician and loved ones to ensure you receive the care you need to recover and get back to your normal life more quickly.