Setting Smart Stroke Recovery Goals in 2010
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David
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David
Lower Body Conditioning after a Stroke: It’s Still Your Job
By David Dansereau for Stroke Smart Magazine
Stroke rehabilitation therapies and modalities for lower-extremity training have indeed advanced in recent years with improved technology. Many of these advances are being driven by what researchers are learning about brain recovery and neuroplasticity. Physical therapists that embrace this concept for stroke recovery now develop rehabilitation protocols and use the same technologies that on many levels imitate conditioning for an athlete post-sports injury or for performance enhancement. For example, motion analysis and capture was a technology formerly reserved for high level athletes, but increasingly PTs are recognizing its power for stroke therapy.
Get ready to do your job
When preparing for lower body conditioning after a stroke it is important to set SMART goals. Once goals are set, the mindset (or work ethic) of the stroke survivor must mirror that of the athlete. Athletes perform purpose driven exercise and as a stroke survivor so should you. Don’t forget, stroke recovery is your job.There are three qualities that all top athletes (and stroke survivors) share when preparing for their training (and stroke recovery):
- 1) Acquire a strong desire to succeed and are passionate about their goals
2) Open minded attitude about how to develop skills to do the best job possible
3) Movement (or exercise strategy) has purpose towards their goalsIf you don’t have access to the new stroke therapy technologies, don’t get discouraged and quit your job. Know that traditional strength, balance, and gait training on land or using treadmills and other tools are still very effective. With and without the use of assistive devices these methods have proven to get results for stroke survivors that are motivated to get the job done. If you desire to get back your independence and confidence, the most important factor in any exercise program is compliance. It doesn’t matter if you paid thousands for your home exercise equipment , robotic device or functional electrical stim unit or you simply invested just a few dollars on an exercise ball, band or tubing. What matters most is that you use it regularly and with purpose.
In today’s changing healthcare system with lowered reimbursements and shorter treatment times, emphasis on home-based training continues to increase. It’s important for the stroke survivor to understand the importance of continuing with the appropriate exercise prescription for their own condition to ensure effectiveness and maximize functional outcomes. It is your job to put in the time to recover to your fullest. Do your job!
Home-based Exercise is Your Job: Here’s how to make it simple to get started
Elastic resistance or exercise tubing is ideal for the home setting because of its portability, cost and effectiveness (yes, even elite athletes use it because it works!). Several accessories are available to assist home exercisers, such as exercise handles, door anchors and portable gyms and flexibility tools. For more information on effective home resistive exercise programs using a thera-ball, bands or to locate inexpensive home gym essentials visit my-physical-therapy-coach.com and click on the Stroke Coach and Exercise Coach links
Resources/References:
Article Adapted from David’s Smart Moves Stroke Recovery Guidebook available Jan 20101 Stroke Smart Nov/Dec 2008 issue. 2008 The year in Review: Research and News that will change the face of stroke
2 Motion Analysis Corp (www.motionanalysis.com)
The MotionMonitor™, by Innovative Sports Training (www.innsport.com)
3 SMART Goals article for Stroke Smart by David Dansereau - 1) Acquire a strong desire to succeed and are passionate about their goals
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David
Excuses and Doing Your (Rehab) Job after a Stroke
I’m up late putting the finishing touches on my next mobility article for Stroke Smart Magazine and it got me reflecting on my own list of excuses and what it took (hard work) to overcome each of them. Here’s a look back on my own excuses to hopefully help you look forward towards your own rehab goals and getting your (stroke recovery)job done.
Tedys Team 2009 Boston
Every person in this photo had a long list of valid excuses not to run…
Above is a photo of our 2009 Tedy’s Team just prior to going to the start line for the Boston Marathon.
Tedy Bruschi mentioned a statistic when he spoke to our team that stuck in my brain- it went something like this…“Less than 1% of all people in this world can say they completed a marathon”.
Bottom Line:
Millions of ordinary people choose millions of reasons why they don’t reach their goals. Here’s just a few of the obstacles (or better yet excuses) that went through my head when I was deciding last Fall to begin training for the 2009 Boston Marathon.
My long list of excuses included:
“I’m too busy”
“I can’t commit to that-it is too long.”
“I used to be really sick / my heart can’t handle it.”
“I’ll do it next year.”
“What if I come in last?”
“I’m a hockey player-we can’t run well.”
“My morning routine is pretty set.”
“I’ll be in pain for months after the marathon.”
“It could rain.”
“One year I remember it was really hot…”
“BLISTERS”.
“I don’t like that goo stuff.”
“Docs can’t tell me if anyone has run a marathon with the device I have in my heart.”
“I have to work the next day.”
“What if I have to go to the bathroom?”
“Yikes-Heartbreak Hill!”
“Who wants to train that much anyway.”
“I’ll get too skinny.”
I’ll have to run for 3+ hours on my day off to get in a “long run.”
“What if my back goes out again?”
“Compression shorts, vaseline, body glide, under armour, what?”
“ I have kids now, those days of pushing myself are behind me.”
“My wife might think I’m nuts or am having another stroke.”
“(If I could get her to agree with my goal), my wife might not sleep for 6 months while I am in training.”
“It will take time away from my family.”
“I’d rather stay indoors, do my usual routine and exercise where it is warm.”
“I’ll have to raise funds for Tedy’s Team in a difficult economy.”
“What if I can’t finish?”
What if…..
You did it anyway.
My point is, no more excuses please…. instead
Choose not to be ordinary.
I Guess I liked those 1% odds.
Now on to my next goal.No more excuses.
Here’s help for you to help set your own goalsHere’s a starting walk to run workout planner to help you get moving.
Need a success journal to track your progress?-get it here
Still have excuses. Need help? Leave your comments:
David
We need to do more
I know this is a start but we need to do more to raise stroke awareness. I was contacted on my blog today by AGA Medical letting me know of their new stroke awareness campaign. Congratulations, this is a step in the right direction, but it is something we should have started years ago. Here’s what they wrote,
“Thanks for your work on stroke awareness with Tedy’s Team. I know you are familiar with AGA Medical Corporation.
We have just launched a new stroke awareness campaign called TacklingStroke on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. It features video testimonials from professional football player Tedy Bruschi, who had a stroke in 2005, recovered fully, and was able to resume his career.”
The post references a video link to Tedy’s PR piece about the stroke warning signs, but the FDA still prohibits AGA Medical from mentioning the word PFO. Here’s the video, it is the same one that has been on AGA’s site except now you view it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TacklingStroke
Bottom Line:
We need to do more by getting out there and educating in our schools, so our teachers, coaches and youth know stroke warning signs. Tonight I’m at Lincoln Middle School doing just that. If you think I did A good job, post your comments here. If you think I can improve, I want to know more. If you want to help with my goals, I’ll take that too!!
Drop me a line, I don’t bite….
David
Treadmill train to promote brain gain
Treadmill-Training Benefits Stroke Patients
Treadmill-training has been making headlines recently in stroke therapy treatment. From the fitness standpoint, we have known for some time that studies have shown that people get more out of a treadmill than other fitness equipment because it is natural to walk or run, and users are more apt to stick with it for longer each session. This article will review a recent study using treadmills in stroke rehabilitation, as well as at some of the latest treadmill products on the market today.
The Research
According to recent research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, people who use treadmill-training can significantly improve their health and mobility. The results of this study, validated through brain imaging, that brain changes reflected actual neural “rewiring” -even years after having a stroke.
The study’s results, published in Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association, suggest that patients’ brains may retain the capacity to rewire through a treadmill exercise program months or years after conventional physical therapy has ended.1
For a full summary of this treadmill-training study as well as suggested treadmill brands please, continue reading here…
REFERENCES
- Luft AR, Macko RF, Forrester LW, et al. Treadmill exercise activates subcortical neural networks and improves walking after stroke. A randomized controlled trial. Stroke. 2008:Aug
David
Do stroke victims work harder using new gaming technologies?
Research Update:
Recently I had the chance to try out the Nintendo Wii Fit system for the first time. I’ll plan to follow up with a post later on my thoughts on this device as a stroke rehabilitation tool. Since using the system and forming my own opinion, I wanted to research how other therapists might be embracing this emerging technology. In the short time I have been following this “Wii-habilitation” movement I have to say I receive 4-5 google alerts each day with updates from both therapy and gaming blogs using the term wii-habilitation. This post from a CNET News Blog caught my eye because it showed how cutting edge rehabilitation centers around the country are starting to receive research grants to study how effective Wii and other gaming devices can be to help stroke survivors retrain lost motor skills and regain function.
“And now researchers at the University of South Carolina are turning the trend into a research project that will study exactly how well the Wii and other games can help stroke victims recover motor skills and overcome a fear of falling after their trauma.
The research is part of a new $2 million grant from philanthropic group the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which will be administered by the University of California Santa Barbara’s Health Games Research Center. On Thursday, the two organizations announced that 12 different research projects, including USC’s Wii project, will receive funding of up to $200,000 each to study how interactive games can be used to improve public health and the health care profession. The studies will last between one to two years.”
