TOP 10 EXERCISES FOR MILD STROKE

Depending upon the severity of this condition, stroke can be classified as mild, moderate, and severe. Patients suffering from mild stroke have mild deficiencies in the level of consciousness, impairments in sensory and motor functioning. The purpose of this blog is to provide an exercise program for a mildly affected stroke patient, which can help him to promote strength, balance, and coordination on his own. These exercises may not need assistance but it is necessary to keep a caretaker nearby during the exercise session.

 1: Exercise to strengthen the muscles that stabilize the shoulder.

Lie on the back with your arms resting at your sides. Keep your elbow straight, lift your affected arm to shoulder level with your hand pointing to the ceiling. Raise your hand towards the ceiling, lifting your shoulder blade from the floor. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, and then relax, allowing your shoulder blade to return to the floor. Slowly repeat the reaching motion several times. Lower your arm to rest by your side.

2. Exercise to strengthen the shoulder muscles as well as those which straighten the elbow.

Lie on your back grasp one end of an elasticized band in each hand with enough tension to provide light resistance to the exercise, but without causing undue strain. Place both hands alongside the unaffected hip, keeping your elbows as straight as possible. Move your affected arm upward in a diagonal direction, reaching out to the side, above your head, keeping your elbow straight. Your unaffected arm should remain at your side throughout the exercise. During the exercise, stretch the band so that it provides resistance. 

3. Exercise to strengthen the muscles which straighten the elbow.

Lie on your back with your arms resting at your sides and a rolled towel under the affected elbow. Bend the affected elbow and move your hand up toward your shoulder. Keep your hand up toward your shoulder. Keep your elbows resting on the towel. Hold for a few seconds. Straighten your elbow and hold. Slowly repeat several times.

4. Exercise to improve hip control preparation for walking activities.

Lie on your back, start with your unaffected leg flat on the floor and your affected leg bent. Lift your affected foot and cross your affected leg over the other leg. Lift your affected foot and un-cross, resuming the position of the previous step. Repeat the crossing and un-crossing motion several times.

5. Exercise to enhance hip and knee control.

Lie on your back, start with your knees bent, feet resting on the floor. Slowly slide the heel of your affected leg down so that the leg straightens. Slowly bring the heel of your affected leg along the floor, returning to the starting position. Keep your heel in contact with the floor throughout the exercise.

6. Exercise to improve control of knee motions for walking.

Lie on your unaffected side with the bottom knee bent for stability and your affected arm placed in front for support. Concentrate on bending and straightening your knee while keeping your hip straight

7. Exercise to improve weight shift and control for proper walking technique.

Lie on your back, start with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and knees close together. Lift your hips from the floor and keep them raised in the air. Slowly twist your hips from side to side. Return to center and lower your hips to the floor. Rest, repeat the motion

8. Exercise to improve balance weight shift and control to prepare for walking activities.

The starting position is on your hands and knees. Weight should be evenly distributed on arms and both legs. Rock in the diagonal direction back toward your right heel as far forward towards your left hand as possible. Repeat motion several times, slowly rocking as far as possible in each direction. Return to center. Rock in a diagonal direction to and your right hand. Move as far back as possible in each direction slowly.

9. Exercise to stimulate proper weight shift and knee control necessary for walking.

Stand with your unaffected side next to a waist-height tabletop or other firm surface. Rest your unaffected arm on the surface for support. Lift your unaffected foot from the floor so that you are standing on your affected leg. Slowly bend and straighten the leg on which you are standing through a small range of motion. Try to move smoothly, not allowing your knee to buckle when you bend, or to snap back when you straighten. Repeat the knee bending and straightening several times, slowly.

10. Exercise to stimulate proper weight shift while strengthening the hip and pelvis muscles.

Stand facing a waist-height tabletop or other firm surface for support. Shift your weight onto your right leg and lift your knee straight. Return to center with both feet on the floor. Shift your weight onto your left leg and lift your right leg out to the side keeping your back and knee straight. Repeat several times, alternating lifts.

All these exercises will also help the patient to move more steadily while walking and also improves the motor skills like fastening buttons or tying shoelaces.

Physiotherapy to avoid Hamstring Injuries

 Top 10 Stretches & Exercises To Avoid Hamstring Injuries

Hamstring injuries are common in athletes and often become a troublesome chronic condition. These injured muscles are more prone to re-injury, because of inadequate rehabilitation.  So, to prevent hamstring injury, one should always build up strength, balance, and adequate flexibility of this muscle group. This can be achieved with the help of your physiotherapist who designs a proper regimen to prevent the injury.

Mechanism of injury:

The most common causes of hamstring injury are:

·         Previous injury

·         Lack of muscle strength

·         Lack of flexibility

·         Lack of adequate warm-up

·         Fatigue

·         Imbalance

Hamstring injuries are common in all athletes, especially those who participate in kicking, running, and jumping. Usually, the injury occurs during high-speed exercises. Most hamstring injuries occur when the athlete experiences a sudden onset of pain in the posterior aspect of the thigh during strenuous exercises. The patient may describe an audible pop and pain, which refrains the athlete from participating in sports. In more severe injuries, the patient may describe falling to the ground. Milder injuries are often described as a pull or tightness in the posterior aspect of the thigh during exercise.

Prevention of hamstring injuries:

The emphasis is placed on the prevention of the injury which is achieved by following a proper regimen designed by your physiotherapist. The regimen includes

Hamstring stretching regimen

·         Single-leg hamstring stretch

Lie supine(lying on the back with face upward) with both legs flat on the bed. Loop the towel around the foot and hold the ends of the towel with your hands. Keep the knee straight and the foot pointing towards the ceiling. Pull until you feel a stretch in your back of the leg.

·         Straddle groin and hamstring stretch

Sit on the floor with both the legs straddled. Keep the knees straight with the kneecap facing the ceiling and the feet pointing towards the ceiling.  Reach forward until you feel the stretch in the hamstrings. Be careful to keep your back straight.

·         Sidesaddle and hamstring stretch

Sit on the floor with the injured leg straight, keeping the knee cap facing the ceiling and foot pointing towards the ceiling. The uninvolved leg is relaxed with the knee bent. Reach the injured leg’s ankle until a hamstring stretch is felt.

·         Pelvic tilt stretch

Sit on the edge of the chair with the injured leg resting straight. The uninjured leg is bent at 90⁰. Rest your hands on your thighs for support. With your back straight, bend forward at the hips. Lean forward until you feel the stretch.

·         Standing hamstring stretch

In a standing position bend slightly forward from your hips keeping your one heel on a small brick size block (knee of the same leg should be kept straight) and the other heel on the floor. Now bend forward and feel the stretch.

Hamstring strengthening regimen

·         Isometric hamstring curls

Sit on the floor with the uninjured leg straight. The involved leg is bent with the heel on the floor. Push the heel into the floor and then pull towards the buttocks to tighten the hamstring muscle.

·         Prone hamstring curls

Place an ankle weight on the involved leg. Lie prone, placing a pillow under the involved knee. With the foot in position, bring the heel toward the buttocks in a slow controlled manner.

·         Standing hamstring curls

Place an ankle weight on the involved leg. Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart. Holding onto support, curl the heel towards the buttock in a slow controlled manner.

·         Hamstring curl Theraband

The exercise can be performed on a prone or a standing position against Theraband resistance. The weight will be at the ankle. Curl the leg against resistance put by the Theraband by bringing the heel towards the buttock.

·         Hamstring roll-outs

Lie on your back with heels on a stability ball. Attain a bridge position by raising your hips up by pushing your heels into the ball and squeezing your gluteus muscle. Now straighten your knees and roll the ball away from your body, the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should be in a straight line, and then bring the ball back towards your body by bending your knees.

The regimen helps in the restoration of strength and flexibility of the hamstring muscles, which is essential for the prevention of injury.