LFK after a stroke: a set of exercises at home

Stroke is an insidious disease that affects the structures of the human brain, causing serious disturbances in it. Pathology leads to the failure of various functions of the body and never goes without a trace. Restoration of health in the rehabilitation period, in addition to drug therapy, is promoted by constant, strictly dosage and individually selected physical activity. In the materials of our article, the reader will find answers to many questions. For example, what is the essence of exercise therapy after a stroke? The complex of exercises, appointed by a doctor, is performed only during the stay in the hospital or continues and at home treatment? What kinds of loads are applicable for such a diagnosis? And much more.

What is a stroke?

Stroke is an acute violation of the circulation of the brain structures, the symptomatology of which manifests itself suddenly and arises in separate foci or the overall structure as a whole. This pathology often leads to death. According to statistical data, after ischemic heart disease, cerebral vascular disease is the second most common cause of mortality from pathologies of the circulatory system. A cerebral infarction and various cerebral hemorrhages are also a type of stroke.

If the manifestations of the disease can be detected in time and proceed to immediate treatment, the patient has a chance to live. However, pathology in most cases leads to disruption of motor or sensitive functions of the body, causes deterioration of brain activity - speech, memory, orientation in space, thinking.

Depending on what type of stroke is diagnosed in a patient, the patient's chances of recovery and continuation of a full-fledged life also vary. Thus, ischemic strokes, which constitute 75-80% in the structure of the disease, are easier to treat. Hemorrhagic stroke has more severe consequences and is treatable more difficult.

Why do I need rehabilitation?

Treatment of patients who underwent such a disease is a complex process, consisting of many stages and requiring patience and a systematic approach. Therapy begins with resuscitation, where the patient is treated directly, allowing to survive. Further, specialists of the neurological hospital are engaged in the restoration of affected brain cells of the patient.

We must understand that the effect of drug treatment is not unlimited. However, there are additional techniques that help speed recovery after a stroke. LFK is one of them.

Pathological changes in brain structures are irreversible - dead cells can not be restored and this neurological deficit is irreplaceable. Fortunately, brain activity and impaired motor activity are inextricably linked. Consequently, the restoration of the patient's mental skills can occur after the return of the motor function in the paralyzed limbs or throughout the body.

Movement prevents the stagnation of blood in paralyzed tissues and restores muscle memory, and also mobilizes the activity of other neurons not affected by pathological processes. Dosed physical exercise will help restore the function of the brain. Therefore, it is very important after the patient is discharged from the hospital to proceed to the immediate implementation of a set of exercises aimed at improving the condition of the body as a whole.

The effect of physical activity

As mentioned earlier, the strategy of treatment and rehabilitation should be implemented gradually, step-by-step and methodically. This means that, until the goal is achieved, a lot of time will pass, a desire and discipline will be required from both the patient himself and from relatives or people caring for him. At the initial stage in the hospital, physical exercises and care are performed by doctors. Restorative procedures, such as massage and easy motor activity, begin almost from the first day after the onset of the disease. LFK and post-stroke exercises:

• Protect the skin from the occurrence of pressure sores, especially in the legs - in the heel areas, where the greatest contact with the bed occurs, and the body is subjected to increased pressure;
• Reduce the muscle tone and the general stress that occurs when paralysis due to a stroke; With increased excitability gradually passing through;
• Improve microcirculation of tissues, restoring gradually normal blood circulation;
• Help restore subtle movements in the hands and upper limbs as a whole;
• On the background of a stroke, a contracture may occur - restriction of movements in the joint with the congealing of muscles that are in constant overstrain. Physical exercises ensure the prevention of this phenomenon.

Where to begin?

On the question of how long it will take to partially restore the lost functions of the body in the post-stroke period, one can not answer unambiguously.

It all depends on the type of pathology, the size of the lesion and the localization in the brain structures, as well as the time that has elapsed since the manifestation of the disease to the provision of medical care. Accordingly, the more these indicators, the worse the forecasts. In any case, one should not lose courage and lose heart, it is necessary to fight for life and for health. Before you start recovery procedures, you need to consult a doctor - a set of exercises in each case will be different. For example, exercise therapy after an ischemic stroke differs from loads with hemorrhagic type of pathology.

At first, in case of paralysis of the patient (full or one of the sides) within a week or two, it is recommended to act on the muscles by changing the position. To avoid stagnation of blood and the formation of pressure sores, it is recommended to turn the patient over every 2-3 hours.

After a specified period of time, passive types of exercise (massage) are initiated, which can be accomplished with the help of third parties. The purpose of these manipulations is to relax the muscles and prepare them for the subsequent (active) loads.

Massage and passive loads

There are certain rules when performing massage manipulations. To begin with, circular movements should warm up the skin and ensure the flow of blood to the tissues. Efforts should not be excessive, rather an easy and pleasant procedure is needed. Massage (passive exercise therapy) of the hands after a stroke is performed from the top down - from the hand to the shoulder. Accordingly, the legs are kneaded from the foot to the hips.

When massage the surface of the body, specifically the back, apply more sharp movements with the implementation of tweaks and rapping. Massage the chest, use soft pressure, the movements are performed in a circle from the center to the outside.

After the massage procedures passive loads begin. They include the alternate flexion and extension of limbs - arms and legs. The mechanism of performing the exercises is as follows. The patient is placed on his back, and the limb is raised and bent in the joint in such a way that when it is unbent, it slides over the surface of the bed. Through these exercises, exercise therapy after a stroke for the legs, as well as the hands, gradually restore the motor memory of the body. An important indicator of success in this case is the systematic nature of the procedures - the exercises are conducted for 40 minutes twice a day, starting from the second week - three times a day.

Mental exercise

As noted above, limb movement is controlled by muscle memory. To restore it you need daily exercise of mental gymnastics. The following scheme is recommended. When performing physical exercises, you must repeatedly say aloud the command. For example, when bending the hand, say: "I bend my hand, I move my fingers, etc.". If it is difficult for a patient to say words at this stage, close people should do it for him. This technique is also good because it trains the patient's speech apparatus . Mental exercise therapy after a stroke (at home should be done methodically and constantly) leads to a good recovery.

Throughout the course of treatment it is necessary to praise the patient for any actions on his part, to encourage and encourage him in every way, to adjust to a positive outcome of the situation. Often patients with a similar diagnosis are reluctant to engage in physical education, are depressed, do not believe in their own strength. This is an incorrect position. Psychological attitude is the key to success in any business. It is important to explain to a person that only the result of treatment depends on him, and no one, except himself, will help him.

Speech Reconstruction

The consequence of a stroke can be not only a violation of the motor function, but also a disorder of the patient's speech. Such failures in the body last for a long time, from several months to several years, and require permanent recovery measures. The patient needs perseverance, the constant desire to recover and the methodical nature of the exercises. You can not stop your studies in any case, and then sooner or later there will be a result and positive dynamics.

Exercises for the articular apparatus are aimed at restoring the lost function of nerve cells located in the zone of the center of speech. First, in order for the patient's speech to return to normal, he must constantly hear it from others. The task of family and friends is to constantly talk with a person who has had a stroke, so that in the future he can reproduce sounds himself.

If speech is lost completely, it is necessary to begin with the pronunciation of individual sounds, then syllables, then words, whose volume over time should constantly increase. At the final stage, it is useful to read poetry and say tongue twisters. Good results in the treatment of music. It is useful for a patient to listen to singing, and also to try to sing songs himself - at first simple, then more serious.

Exercises for articulation. Memory Recovery

As a result of a stroke, there is a disturbance in the mobility of the facial muscles, followed by their hardening. This phenomenon leads to the loss of a person's ability to talk. A set of exercises is provided for training the speech apparatus. The patient is recommended:

• Push the language forward as far as possible;
• Turn your lips into a tube, bite your teeth;
• Lick your lips with tongue left to right and right to left;
• Bite alternately the upper and lower lips.

When stroke is broken memory, and one of the most important tasks in rehabilitation is the restoration of this type of nervous activity. Along with medicamental therapy, specialists conduct a functional-restorative correction with the patient. The technique involves training the brain by memorizing figures, words, poems.

In addition, a positive effect in the restoration of memory is provided by table games. In general, the gaming technique used in rehabilitation gives good results - the patient concentrates on the action performed on the one hand, and distracts from the situation and the surrounding reality on the other.

Active loads

When the first results appear and the patient acquires confidence in his own strength and favorable outcome of the disease, you can gradually move to active physical activity. During this period, as a rule, the patient is discharged, and changing the hospital environment to the home walls contributes to improving the mood and raising the "fighting spirit" of the person.

Exercises LFK after a stroke (at home conducted) are quite diverse. Initially, this can be in the bed, further - in a sitting and standing position. After success at these stages, you can go on to walking. It should be noted that in each specific case, the intensity of the load may differ, and should be calculated by the doctor in accordance with the patient's medical history.

Loads should be daily and occupy during the day in separate intervals for several hours.

Therapeutic physical training in the sitting position consists of a set of the following exercises:

• Training of the eye muscles can be performed by rotating the eyeballs in different directions - diagonally, from right to left, from top to bottom, open and close eyelids, such exercises contribute to the normalization of pressure;
• Relieve tension after the above exercises will help squeeze, with a repetition of 10-15 times;
• Stretch the neck muscles allow the rotation of the head in different directions and at a different pace;
• After a stroke it is necessary to develop the motor skills of the fingers, to train the grasping reflexes. Expanders are used for these purposes;
• You can train the muscles of the legs and feet by stretching and cutting them.

Consistently in the sitting state, you can move to more amplitude exercises - lifting the limbs, alone or with a belt.

Exercise therapy

It should be noted that the standing position offers more opportunities for physical exertion and training of legs and hands. Restorative gymnastics is built on basic exercises:

• Lifting of hands: the initial position of the body is straight, the arms are at the seams, the legs are at the width of the shoulders. It is necessary to raise your hands in inspiration, to lower them down on exhalation. Repeat the course should be 4-6 times.
• Squats without taking off the heels with the arms stretched forward. The goal of the exercise is to maintain balance and leg muscles training. Exercise is repeated 4-8 times.
• Tilting left and right with pulling up the opposite hand.
• Turns of the trunk, which represent a slow twisting of the torso. Exercise is repeated at least 5 times.
• In order to stretch the joints, perform rotations with a brush and a foot, they take their hands to the lock behind their backs.
• To train both hands and feet at the same time helps such an exercise - with an outstretched hand, swing the foot with a small amplitude to the side. In this case it is recommended that you hold the support with your free hand and do not hold your breath. Manipulation is repeated 7-8 times with each foot.

Training apparatus

After the person who has suffered a stroke, gets a little stronger and gets used to an active load, you can go to the lessons on special simulators. Using these devices will not only strengthen the muscular corset and restore the motor function, but also improve the overall emotional state of the patient. During the rehabilitation period, the sessions should be conducted only under the supervision of a doctor and using cardiac monitors, devices with which you can monitor the performance of the heart.

Depending on the functional purpose of the simulator, all devices are conditionally combined into several groups.

• Verticalizer is a device that gives a vertical position to the body of a person who can not do it on his own. This simulator supports a person and gradually prepares him for "straight".
• "Lokomat" is a skeleton simulator - an adaptation for those who are learning how to walk anew.
• Mini-trainers - devices for training the limbs and restoring the motor skills of the fingers.
• Simulators of the "active-passive" type help to restore the function of the joints of the upper and lower extremities.
• Exercise bikes increase stamina and improve the general condition of the patient.

Important rules

Rehabilitation is an incredibly important stage in the treatment process, so you can not waste precious time. There are some rules, the implementation of which will help to achieve success and achieve good results in restoring the body of a sick person.

First of all, it is necessary to adhere strictly to the advice of the attending physician. This means that you can not engage in amateur activities. Remember, only a specialist with education and work experience can correctly select and calculate the magnitude and intensity of physical exertion in each specific case, that is, make a program of exercise therapy after a stroke. The complex of exercises is strictly individual.

Being engaged in active physical education, you can not overstrain yourself. Begin the load should be with light exercises, gradually moving to more complex. It is important to understand that the goal of physical activity is not the build-up of muscle mass, but the motivation of new brain cells to work.

Before performing any loads (active or passive) it is extremely important to warm up the skin so that all tissues receive blood flow. This especially applies to bedridden patients.

People who are close to a sick person need to monitor his mood, gently demand that he follow the doctor's orders, and note any successes.

Do not forget about the systematic and systematic rehabilitation. Exercises should be daily. Time is the best medicine.