Benefits of Physical Therapy After a Stroke [Infographic]

Following a stroke, physical therapy is essential to help stroke survivors regain strength, coordination, balance, and motor control as well as address stroke-related physiological impairments through a supervised and customized exercise program. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to an area of the brain is decreased, obstructed, or stopped, which deprives the brain cells of oxygen, causing cell death. Physical therapists help stroke survivors optimize their function after the stroke, enhance their level of independence, and improve their quality of life. Check out our infographic on the benefits of physical therapy after a stroke!

Stroke FAQ

A stroke occurs when the blood flow to an area of the brain is decreased, obstructed, or stopped, which deprives the brain cells of oxygen, causing cell death. The obstruction of blood flow to the brain can be caused by a clot traveling into the arteries that supply the brain (an ischemic stroke) or due to a fall or blow to the head (hemorrhagic stroke).

Strokes are among the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide. In the United States, approximately 800,000 people experience a stroke each year and more than 40% of stroke survivors experience functional impairment of movement or impairment of other neurological functions. Men have a higher risk of stroke than women and the risk of stroke increases with age, doubling for each decade after age 55.

Common signs of a stroke can include face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulties as well as sudden numbness or weakness in the leg, arm or face, difficulty speaking, dizziness, or loss of balance.

After a stroke, the stroke survivor may experience these impairments:

• Paralysis, typically on one side of the body

• Movement and motor control issues

• Posture and balance problems

• Sensory disturbances, such as numbness in limbs or loss of ability to feel touch or temperature

• Incontinence (loss of bladder control)

• Memory and language problems

• Blurred vision

• Behavioral changes

There are a number of factors that can increase an individual’s risk of experiencing a stroke:

• High blood pressure (damages blood vessels over time) and high cholesterol (plaque buildup in arteries)

• Heart disease and diabetes (diabetes contributes to atherosclerosis)

• Smoking, which increases blood pressure and reduces oxygen to the brain

• Physical inactivity and obesity

• Poor diet, high in salt, cholesterol, and saturated fats

• Excessive alcohol consumption which increases blood pressure

• Sleep apnea

• Previous history of a stroke or TIA

• Family history of stroke

Benefits of Physical Therapy After a Stroke

Following a stroke, physical therapy is essential to help a stroke survivor regain strength, coordination, balance, and motor control as well as address stroke-related physiological impairments through a supervised and customized exercise program.

Here are 5 benefits of physical therapy after a stroke:

1. Stroke survivors that engage in post-stroke rehabilitation recover faster and more effectively.

2. Patients gain improved overall strength, functional mobility, balance, coordination, and agility over time through a customized exercise program.

3. Physical therapy prevents muscle atrophy (muscle weakness or failure) due to impaired limbs, as the therapist helps the patient regain the use of the impaired limb through exercises to stimulate muscles and rebuild the brain-body connection.

4. Stroke patients have a better quality of life with enhanced endurance and physical strength.

5. Patients are more independent and have an overall improved mood and mindset. They can more easily return to daily life activities and be less reliant on caregivers. 

Physical Therapy Treatment After a Stroke

Physical therapy plays a critical role in helping stroke survivors regain functional mobility, strength, and motor control and improve their quality-of-life and independence post-stroke. Initially, physical therapists conduct a thorough evaluation of the stroke survivor and customize the survivor’s treatment to their overall health, type of movement or function lost, and current degree of disability. The therapist assesses motor function, such as muscle strength, range of motion, and coordination, to determine the extent of the impairment caused by the stroke and evaluates balance, coordination, and gait.

Physical therapy stroke rehabilitation can include:

• Motor skill exercises: focuses on improving coordination and the ability to control gross motor skill movements like moving larger limbs (arms and legs) and fine motor skill movements that require dexterity in the hands to grasp and grip objects.

• Aquatic therapy: involves exercising in a warm water pool. The warmth of the water can reduce muscle pain and tension, while the buoyancy of the water can reduce the impact on joints and muscles, making it easier for stroke survivors to build strength and improve balance without risk of falling. Water also provides resistance, helping build strength without placing excessive strain on the body.

• Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT): involves restricting or constraining the unaffected arm to encourage the use of the stroke-affected arm to complete certain tasks. CIMT helps promote neural connections and improves motor control and coordination, while also preventing survivors from overcompensating for weakness on the affected side with the fully functioning side.

• Functional electrical stimulation: involves low-voltage electrodes that are applied to weak muscles to help activate, contract, and retrain these muscles. This promotes motor recovery by providing visual and sensory feedback and helps avoid disuse atrophy.

• Range of motion exercises: focuses on improving the mobility of joints and flexibility of muscles to prevent muscle contractures post-stroke.

• Bilateral arm training: involves intensive training wherein the survivor performs movements or activities with the arms at the same time but independently of each other.

• Strength training: targeted resistance training of the upper and lower extremities to help progressively rebuild strength in weakened limbs.

• Gait training: involves relearning to walk with a normal walking pattern. It can include proper posture training, weight shifting, step length training, and heel-to-toe movement. Survivors may begin in the parallel bars and with walkers for support and transition to canes and then walking without assistance.

• Balance training: involves weight-shifting exercises, proprioception training (awareness of the body in space), and dynamic balance tasks to improve motor control and stability.

• Stair training: once the stroke survivor has progressed to a normal walking pattern with improved balance, the therapist may implement a series of stair training exercises to help improve range of motion and confidence navigating stairs.

• Education on assistive device use: Physical therapists provide education and training on mobility aids such as canes, walkers, and wheelchairs, to help stroke survivors regain independence and facilitate safer movement.

Research has shown that the first three to six months post-stroke are the most vital for recovery as the brain enters a state of heightened neuroplasticity, allowing for adaptive changes and functional improvements more easily. Engaging in intensive physical therapy after a stroke has been associated with reduced complications and a more effective and quick stroke recovery.

According to the American Stroke Association, exercise therapy is beneficial for stroke survivors with many studies reporting that gait-oriented training, aerobic treadmill training, intensive mobility training, and physiotherapeutic interventions can improve function and reduce disability in stroke survivors. A recent 2022 study found that physical therapy treatment for stroke survivors improved postural control, balance, physical activity, gait, and health-related quality of life during the first 12 weeks after a stroke.

At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, we understand that a stroke can be a life-altering event in your family and in your life. As physical therapists, we are here to accompany you through your stroke recovery and help you regain movement, function, and the best possible quality of life.