A stroke occurs when the blood supply is temporarily cut off from the brain. The effects can be devastating. Sudden numbness and weakness can appear on one side of the body. The stroke victim suffers from sudden confusion, difficulty in speaking, trouble seeing properly and problems in walking. Post-stroke rehabilitation focuses on overcoming the disabilities that can affect a person after the episode. The strategy during this time is to overcome the isolated problems, and exercise often comes into play.
Advice
Do not be discouraged if you find that you cannot perform all of these exercises at first attempt. After a stroke it takes time and practice to develop coordination again. It really is not the muscles that have been affected but the control center for the muscles in the brain. These exercises are developed to retrain the brain. Try these three times a day and soon you will have them mastered.
Finger Work
Finger Lifts
Place your hand palm down on a table. Deliberately raise and lower each finger. Try to get your fingers to do this exercise individually.
Finger Stretches
Rest your hand palm down again on a table. Spread your fingers as wide as you are able, then back again to resting position.
Okay
Form an "O" by touching each fingertip, in succession, to the tip of your thumb. Get your fingers to work separately.
Thumb Stretches
Hold your hand and fingers straight up. Bend your thumb and try to touch the base of your little finger. Then spread your thumb out the other way.
Hand Work
Hitchhiker Stretch
Hold your hand up and bring your fingertips into your palm. Now stick out your thumb like you are making a hitchhiker's signal.
Pickup
Line up five to six different-size objects on a table. The largest should be the size of a tennis ball with the smallest about the size of a paper clip. Start with the largest object and pick it up. Work your way from largest to smallest. Perhaps not at first, but eventually you should be able to pick up the paper clip-size object.
The Fist
Take a piece of notebook paper. Crumple it into a tight ball in your fist. Smooth out the paper and do it again.
The Ball Squeeze
Take a tennis ball or rubber ball and squeeze it as hard as you can. Hold the squeeze for as long as you can.
Tags: your hand, your thumb, your fingers, hand palm, hand palm down, Hold your, Hold your hand