Stroke

What is a stroke?

The medical term for a stroke is CVA, which means “cerebrovascular accident.” This literally means: an accident in the blood vessels of the brain. In this accident the brain tissue is damaged.

The symptoms after a stroke

A stroke can have the following physical consequences:
Problems with walking/talking
Difficult to keep the balance
An arm that does not “cooperate”

In addition to physical consequences, a stroke can also cause psychosocial problems because your behavior and character have changed. What problems you get and how bad those problems are, depends on the damage to your brain tissue.

What physiotherapy can do

A physiotherapist can contribute to your recovery in various phases and in all sorts of ways.

The first days after the stroke

If you have had a stroke, it is good to get out of bed as soon as possible. This has a positive influence on your recovery and reduces the risk of complications. Our physiotherapist will help you to get moving quickly and safely. The treatment also starts if getting up does not work yet. In that case, the physiotherapist will do breathing exercises with you, and you will receive help moving your arms and legs. Our physiotherapist also advises on the most comfortable lying position.

The rehabilitation phase

As soon as you get out of bed, the physiotherapist comes with you to practice daily. The purpose of the treatment is that you learn to do all kinds of daily activities yourself again. Intensive practice during this period is necessary, sometimes several times a day. As soon as you have a stroke, you often still need aids such as a walking stick, an elbow crutch, a walking frame, a walker or a tripod or quadruped. Your physical therapist can teach you how to use these tools properly.

Three months after the stroke

About three months after the stroke, it becomes really clear what your options are. You can still learn new skills with (intensive) practice. Your physiotherapist can teach you how to deal with the permanent limitations. The physiotherapist also supports and supervises other care providers who are involved in your treatment. The physiotherapeutic treatment in this phase is aimed at resuming your normal life as much as possible.