{"id":497,"date":"2023-08-09T01:31:31","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T01:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centennialnurses.com.au\/?p=497"},"modified":"2023-08-09T01:31:31","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T01:31:31","slug":"exploring-the-roles-of-physiotherapy-massage-therapy-and-occupational-therapy-in-stroke-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centennialnurses.com.au\/exploring-the-roles-of-physiotherapy-massage-therapy-and-occupational-therapy-in-stroke-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Roles of Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, and Occupational Therapy in Stroke Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A physiotherapist (or physical therapist) is someone who helps patients recover from injuries, illnesses or surgeries that affect their mobility and independence. They use techniques like massage, soft tissue manipulations and joint mobilizations.<\/p>\n
They will help you build strength, balance and mobility through a graded exercise programme. They will also show you how to manage symptoms and prevent further injury or ill health.<\/p>\n
Exercise is a key part of physiotherapy. It can boost strength, mobility and coordination, and help prevent other health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. It also reduces the risk of depression. People can perform physical exercises at home, with a gym membership or in an accessible community centre.<\/p>\n
For stroke recovery, your therapist will use exercises that target your specific needs. If you have trouble standing and walking, for example, your therapist may use a combination of strengthening, stretching and balance exercises to help improve your gait.<\/p>\n
The first step in the process is a clinical assessment that takes place at your physical therapy clinic. Your therapist will ask you about your symptoms, such as pain, stiffness and loss of movement, as well as examine the affected area to assess the level of impairment. This information will allow your therapist to develop a treatment plan.<\/p>\n
During treatment sessions, your physiotherapist will teach you exercises to do at home to improve your mobility, strength and coordination. You will need to do these regularly to maximise your recovery and avoid relapse. This will include:<\/p>\n
A range of treatment techniques are used during physiotherapy, such as soft tissue techniques (such as massage), joint mobilization and manipulation, muscle energy technique, neuromuscular facilitation and electrical stimulation. The last two are therapies that use a TENS machine, which sends pulses of electricity to your nerve endings via pads placed on your skin and alters the way your brain interprets pain signals.<\/p>\n
You will also do cardiovascular and strength-training exercises, such as a low-level walk or stationary cycling, using an interval or work: rest approach. These exercises are designed to prevent deconditioning, hypostatic pneumonia, orthostatic intolerance and stimulate cognition, mood and vascular health.<\/p>\n
Many stroke survivors struggle with balance and stability, and exercises that target the core muscles can help retrain the body. For example, Beth Thornton and Kathryn Smyth suggest nine core exercises to help regain balance following a stroke. Other balance-boosting exercises include pushing laterally against a table or sliding the back of your hand across the surface of a bench, both of which increase your hip flexor strength and can help address foot drop or ankle stiffness in people who have had a stroke.<\/p>\n
In addition to physiotherapy, massage therapy can be an integral part of the recovery process for stroke victims. It is typically only introduced when a client is comfortable with being touched and has been given permission from their physician. The purpose of the treatment is to reduce pain and improve function and range of motion in the affected areas of the body.<\/p>\n
Massage stimulates the skin, subcutaneous cellular tissue and muscle mass, as well as activating peripheral somatosensory receptors, which are sensitive to touch. This stimulation can help to increase the flow of blood in the effected area and decrease the swelling caused by paralysis of a particular skeletal muscle group. It can also promote lymphatic drainage and help the removal of toxic waste, which helps to decrease swelling.<\/p>\n
It is a safe and effective way to relieve stress and relax the muscles, which in turn can help to ease any pain or stiffness. It can also help to improve mood and sleep patterns, enhancing overall mental wellness. Massage may also provide relief from feelings of anxiety and depression, which are common after a stroke.<\/p>\n
The type of massage used depends on a person\u2019s needs, but there are a variety of techniques that can be applied to the body, including deep tissue, neuromuscular massage, trigger point therapy and reflexology. Each technique focuses on specific points of tension in the body, which are called \u201cknots.\u201d These knots cause pain and stiffness, and when a massage therapist kneads those areas, they can release them.<\/p>\n
Neuromuscular massage is a type of deep tissue massage that works on deeper layers of muscle and connective tissues, such as fascia. It can be useful for people who have muscle tightness due to a lack of exercise, poor posture or repetitive movements such as typing and sitting all day at work. A therapist can use various techniques to work on these tight muscles, including compression, friction and joint mobilization. This is one of the most commonly used forms of massage to treat post-stroke muscle spasticity. It is often combined with a combination of other physical therapies, such as a physiotherapy programme or rehabilitation exercises in a hospital-based clinic.<\/p>\n