These exercises can be done as way to accelerate recovery at home. Ask your physiotherapist how many sets and times per day you should be doing each exercise based on your needs.
1. Pendulum stretch Relax your shoulders. Stand beside a surface and lean over slightly with the affected arm hanging down. Swing the arm in a small circle — about 30cm in diameter. As your symptoms improve, increase the diameter of your swing and use a small weight. 2. Towel stretch Hold one end of a three-foot-long towel behind your back and grab the opposite end with your other hand, holding in a horizontal position. Use your good arm to pull the affected arm upward to stretch it. Hold the bottom of the towel with the affected arm and pull it toward the lower back with the unaffected arm. 3. Finger walk Face a wall three-quarters of an arm’s length away. Reach out and touch the wall with the fingertips of the affected arm. With your elbow slightly bent, slowly walk your fingers up the wall until you’ve raised your arm as far as you comfortably can. Your fingers should be doing the work, not your shoulder muscles. Slowly lower the arm and repeat. 4. Cross-body reach Use your good arm to lift your affected arm at the elbow, and bring it up and across your body, gently stretching the shoulder. You may do this either sitting or standing. 5. Armpit stretch Using your good arm, lift the affected arm onto a shelf at chest level. Gently bend your knees, opening up the armpit. Deepen your knee bend slightly, gently stretching the armpit, and then straighten. With each knee bend, stretch a little further without force or pain. 6. Outward rotation Hold a rubber exercise band between your hands with your elbows at a 90-degree angle close to your sides. Rotate the lower part of the affected arm outward 5cm and hold for 5 seconds.
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Walking is one of the easiest exercises to incorporate into your daily routine to maintain physical health and improve mobility. Although we do it every day to get from one place to another, walking for an extended period of time should be approached like any exercise. The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) created the acronym S.M.A.R.T. (stretch, move, add it up, reduce strain, talk to a physiotherapist) to help you start.
Stretch Warming-up your muscles helps you move easily and reduces the risk for injuries or strains. Stretching should be done before, during and after walking and should include the calves, hamstrings, quads, and hips. Stretching should never be painful. Do not stretch further after you feel a gentle pull of the muscle. Move Walking is not just about putting one foot in front of the other. Control your breathing by consciously inhaling deep through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. You can add more to your workout by using vigorous movement of the arms, with or without bent elbows. Add it up Keep track of the amount of walking that you do each day. Setting aside an hour for a good walk is equally as beneficial as doing 20 minute walks 3 times a day. Keep walking, but for shorter distances or at slower speeds, when the weather gets worse so that you can continue your routine for all 12 months of the year. Reduce Strain There are many factors involved in the potential risk for strain, including the gear you use. Wear proper walking shoes that fit your need and type of walking program. Shop around for pouches, backpacks, etc. that help ease the amount of weight you carry. The CPA also recommends that you do not use wrist or ankle weights while walking which add too much stress on your joints. Talk to a Physiotherapist Physiotherapists not only treat an existing injury; they also teach you how to prevent the onset of pain or injury that prevents you from completely your daily routines with ease. See a physiotherapist if you want to begin an exercise routine with the goals of increasing your mobility, relieving pain, building strength, and/or improving balance and cardiovascular health. Most people are unaware of the bad habits they have developed that affect both posture and increased weight bearing on your muscles. The solution to your pain can be as simple as adjusting the ways in which you position your body throughout the day so your muscles can stay in a more neutral state.
1. Crossing legs when sitting This unnatural elevation of the hip compresses the opposite side, which is carrying more of your body weight. Your spine can also be pulled out of alignment and create pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing both back and hip pain. If it isn't comfortable having your feet flat on the floor, try overlapping your ankles instead of your legs. 2. Hunching shoulders and craning neck while sitting at your desk Most people with desk jobs subconsciously adopt bad posture while sitting in front of the computer. The problem is that leaning forward and allowing your shoulders to collapse compresses your chest muscles and strains your shoulders and upper back. Two simple tricks can instantly improve your posture: use a supportive chair pillow for your lower back and keep your screen at eye level to prevent you from tilting your head up or down to see. 3. Sleeping on stomach versus side Sleeping on your stomach can cause a lot of strain on your back and neck as the pillow adds an unnatural lift. However, sleeping on your side also causes your head be turned to either the right or left for an extended period of time, which also causes pain. Therefore, the best position for sleeping is lying on your back, with only one pillow beneath your head. Consider placing a pillow between your knees to help support your spine and stabilize the middle of your body while sleeping on your side. If you must sleep on your stomach, limit yourself to only one pillow. 4. Carrying a heavy bag or purse Carrying a large amount of weight on your shoulders can form uneven muscle tone and disrupt the blood flow, which can eventually cause discomfort in your neck, shoulders, and back. Switch to a rolling briefcase or cross-body bag, which both evenly distribute weight, if you have to carry a lot. 5. Wearing high heels Wearing high heels (two inches or higher) often can cause your calf muscles to shorten by 13 percent over the course of just two years. This is mainly due to the increased compression of your calf muscles and tendons, as well as inflammation of the Achilles tendon. Switch to flat or low-healed shoes with rounded or square toe boxes to prevent the wearing down of your calf muscles. Keep your calf muscles strong with regular stretches and exercises. Although sometimes used interchangeably, sprains and strains are two different types of injuries resulting from soft tissue damage to the musculoskeletal system. Both strains and sprains result from sudden twists or jolts that apply more force to the tissue that it is able to tolerate.
Sprains A sprain is a joint injury that involves tearing of the ligaments and joint capsule. It occurs when a joint is twisted while bearing some weight. An example of a common strain is one that results from twisting an ankle during physical activity and generally, most strains are found in the thumb, ankle and wrist. Strains A strain however, is an injury to the muscle or tendons. Common sites for sprains include the back and the hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh and are usually related to sport injuries or following other physical activities such as heavy lifting. Which Do You Have? So how do you know if you have a sprain or a strain? Again, a sprain occurs in the joint while a strain occurs to the muscle. The primary symptoms of sprains include limited mobility, inflammation, pain, swelling, and bruising while strains are often accompanied by pain, cramping, swelling, muscle spasms, and stiffness or soreness in the muscle. Treatment Both minor sprains and strains can be treated with the RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) method. In addition, over-the-counter pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen as well as topical creams and gels can reduce pain and inflammation. Chronic injuries (those that worsen over time) require rehabilitation to strengthen the affected area. In order to limit your risk of further injuries, wrap the affected area or wear a brace when you resume activity. Physiotherapy can help you through recovery following a stroke with a program that focuses on challenging your brain and nerves, as well as muscles, balance and coordination.
Treatment methods that physiotherapist use with patients recovering from a stroke include:
Working to improve strength and balance should also be done at home to ease the recovery process. Here are a few tips to try out:
Working to regain normality in your life following a stroke can be discouraging. It is hard to remember that rehabilitation does not occur overnight. While some people see significant improvements from the effects of a stroke within a few weeks, you are more likely to see recovery gradually while receiving Physiotherapy treatment. It is also important to make sure you take precaution to prevent future strokes by:
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