A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. There are two main types of strokes; ischemic, due to lack of blood flow and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding (Wikipedia). Stokes can cause no, mild or a lifelong disability. It depends on the severity of the stroke. Women are at higher risk of suffering a stroke than men.
It is important for people that have had a stroke to exercise. This can improve symptoms that may occur as a result of a stroke and reduce the incidence of having another stroke. Cardiovascular, resistance, flexibility training and special exercises that encourage certain movement patterns are recommended on a case by case basis. Some forms of exercise may not be suitable for certain stroke patients.
If there is an impairment due to a stroke, the recovery process may take some time. The amount of impairment will vary from person to person. Some people will not have any long-lasting mobility issues, while others will. Exercise will be needed in order to improve symptoms. The good news is the brain can rewire lost motor function through a process called neuroplasticity. The key to retraining the brain is for the individual to start exercising in a safe and productive manner as soon as possible after suffering a stroke. A 2016 John Hopkins study supports the importance of starting an exercise program as soon as possible. In that study researchers found that the earlier retraining started, the better. “If you retrained the mice after a one-day delay they got better, but after a seven-day delay they didn’t improve.”
The most important factors aside from starting an exercise program as soon as possible after a stroke are being consistent with the exercise program and performing the proper exercises over and over again. By doing so, the person will gain strength, power and improved motor function. The goal is to improve mobility by moving motor function from the damaged part of the brain over to healthy parts of the brain. The brain and spinal cord are responsible for movement. Training these areas is also known as central nervous system training. By repeating exercises over and over again, a stroke patient can retrain their central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to produce movements.
Exercise is an important part of a stroke patient’s recovery. Starting an exercise program as soon as possible after a stroke is recommended. All individuals should consult with their Doctor before commencing with an exercise program.
References: Wikipedia Stroke, flintrehab.com, How to Train the Brain After Stroke, 2015, safestroke.eu, New Hope for Stroke Recovery: Retrain the brain and gain independence, 2016.