Stroke is the leading cause for disability in Australia, highlighting the importance of quality healthcare and awareness in this area. We see from our clients at West Coast Neuro how much of an impact this can have on a person’s life, and also the benefits that they can gain from specialised treatment. Here are some of the services that we offer to help in the rehabilitation after stroke:
Gait Training
For anyone with mobility impairments, we have a large open clinic with balance and bodyweight support systems which provide a safe environment to complete gait training. This involves strength, balance and power, focusing on challenging a person’s physical capacity, aiming to help translate this into everyday life. With the focus of improving confidence, stability and gait efficiency through continued therapy, this can improve one’s ability to access different parts of the community or home, decrease reliance on supports, and reduce the risk of injuries as a result of falls.
Strength Training
Strength training can help to increase muscle strength, balance, and overall mobility. A 2022 meta-analysis in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine found that regular resistance training leads to increases in gait speed physical function among stroke survivors (Burridge et al., 2022). Additionally, a 2023 study in Stroke showed that strength training can help reduce spasticity and improve functional independence (Pang et al., 2023). Unfortunately, many of those who have been impacted by a stroke are completing little to no resistance training, and when doing so are not completing this at the recommended intensity and or load. This is why it is important to consult with either an Exercise Physiologist or Physiotherapist, ensuring that they are receiving the suitable treatment and exercise recommendations to be able to improve their physical capacity.
Aerobic Exercise
Similar to strength training, aerobic exercise is something that whilst extremely beneficial, it’s a form or exercise that is severely under-prescribed and not completed by the stroke population. Due to this, there is a dramatic reduction in cardiovascular fitness following a stroke, which has many associated detrimental health impacts, including increasing the risk of a recurring stroke. A 2023 systematic review in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases found that regular aerobic exercise improved endurance, reduced fatigue, and boosts cardiovascular fitness (Smith et al., 2023). It has also been shown to help with increasing walking speed, helping to be more mobile and independent (Lang et al., 2022). Due to the overwhelming amount of supporting evidence, at West Coast Neuro we incorporate evidence-based aerobic exercise strategies into our rehabilitation programs to ensure the best health outcomes for our clients.
Task-Specific Practice
One of the key elements of ensuring that therapy is going to result in neuroplasticity is task specificity, goal related practice, and the amount of repetitions completed. For this reason, throughout stroke rehab it is important to be completing movements that are meaningful and will be completed throughout everyday life. This can be a more effective method to improve daily tasks than just general exercise, and highlights the importance of specialised therapy (Chen et al., 2022, Krakauer et al., 2023). This approach aims to ensure that the focuses throughout therapy sessions are continued in everyday life, and help stroke survivors to regain movement that helps them in their everyday life.
If you have suffered from a stroked and are in need of guidance with your rehabilitation, get in contact with us at admin@westcoastneuro.com.au
References:
- Burridge, J. H., et al. (2022). “Effects of Resistance Training on Functional Outcomes in Stroke Patients: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 54(6), 428-436.
- Chen, H., et al. (2022). “Effects of Task-Specific Training on Motor Function and Daily Activities in Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review.” Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 36(3), 223-234.
- Krakauer, J. W., et al. (2023). “Task-Specific Training and Functional Recovery in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” Stroke, 54(5), 1421-1429.
- Lang, C. E., et al. (2022). “Effects of Aerobic Training on Walking Performance and Daily Function in Stroke Survivors: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” Stroke, 53(7), 1023-1030.
- Pang, M. Y. C., et al. (2023). “Strength Training and Functional Recovery in Stroke Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” Stroke, 54(2), 520-529.
Smith, M. T., et al. (2023). “The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on Functional Outcomes in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 32(4), 231-241.
