13 common mistakes to avoid during recovery after stroke

Stroke rehabilitation is a variety of therapy programs designed to help people relearn skills lost after a stroke. Rehabilitation methods may depend on the part of the brain affected by the stroke.

Rehabilitation programs can help improve mobility, speech, strength, and daily living skills, and can help you regain independence and improve your quality of life.

Below are 13 common mistakes you need to avoid during stroke recovery to help the recovery process be effective and prevent recurrence.

1. Ignore setting recovery goals

Setting simple, realistic goals can greatly promote recovery from stroke. However, many people think this is not necessary. But when you set a goal, you can determine the condition you have, which recovery program is right for you, and especially you are motivated to try.

Furthermore, research has found that patients who engage in active goal setting with their therapist are more satisfied with their rehabilitation.

Start by setting goals that are meaningful to you. Goals can range from short-term goals to long-term accomplishments. For example, set a goal to try to stand if you can't walk or say simple words if you have aphasia.

Talk to your therapist about setting goals and setting realistic time frames for achieving them. You can also reach out to family, friends, and a stroke recovery group for encouragement to help you stay on track.

2. Loss of hope

Many stroke patients and caregivers feel depressed, angry, or anxious after a stroke. In particular, patients often have emotional distress or impulsive behavior or depression. This partly occurs due to the influence of the brain and the negativity caused by complications encountered.

However, rehabilitation after a stroke can restore complications and help patients gradually regain basic functions. It is important that patients need to have hope and faith. Share with everyone to eliminate negative thoughts.

3. Not staying motivated

Staying motivated during stroke recovery can be challenging. Apathy occurs in up to 40% of stroke patients and is associated with worse rehabilitation outcomes.

To reduce apathy and maintain motivation, patients should have a good stroke treatment regimen. Focus on your why for recovery and link it to your action plan. Incorporate sentimental items into your daily routine.

For example, if one of your regular habits is to write a list of tasks for the day, try writing content that includes a quote or motivational phrase that's important to you.

4. Not practicing consistently

Repetition is key to stroke rehabilitation, especially when it comes to remembering or learning. Repetition helps reestablish communication between the damaged parts of the brain and body.

There are several stroke exercises that can help you improve function faster after a stroke:

- Core exercises can help if you have lost core strength on one side.

- Balance exercises help improve stability.

- Leg exercises can encourage mobility.

- Arm exercises can restore function to your arms, making it easier for you to hold and release objects.

- Hand dexterity exercises improve hand strength and motor function.

- Shoulder exercises can help you restore arm and shoulder function after a stroke.

5. Loss of momentum during the recovery stabilization period

There are often significant improvements early in stroke recovery. When progress slows or stops during the recovery plateau, it can be difficult to maintain the motivation needed to pursue your goals.

Stabilization is part of a person's recovery from a stroke. During this stage, people may feel as though they have reached their limit and can no longer expect any improvement. They may lose motivation.

But it's worth mentioning that research shows that stroke progress can still be made beyond the initial recovery phase. That is, when the recovery stage is stable, the patient can still significantly improve complications. So, it is essential to continue to stay motivated and practice.

6. "Neglect" weak body parts

After a stroke, people often have weakness in their arms or legs, and they often rely on their stronger arm or leg. This can lead to losing the use of the remaining limb.

When a weak limb is neglected, it will lead to muscle atrophy, causing the muscle to atrophy due to cell degeneration. To maintain and improve function in the weak arm or leg, you must try to move the affected limb. enjoy every day.

One way to do this is to use Constraint Movement Therapy (CIMT), a therapy that prevents the stronger limbs from moving, forcing the use of the weaker arm or leg instead. Before starting a CIMT program, discuss it with your doctor or therapist to make sure it is right for you.

7. Not getting enough sleep

Getting enough sleep during stroke recovery is very important. It can help organize and structure damaged brain circuits after a stroke, helping to improve memory and learning ability.

Unfortunately, sleep problems often occur after a stroke. If you often have difficulty sleeping, you can refer to some measures such as: arranging or adjusting your sleeping habits, limiting light and noise, exposure to light during the day...

8. Keep stress and inflammation high

Chronic stress after a stroke can hinder recovery because the body is flooded with a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can throw the body’s pH out of balance, leading to high acidity and an increase in harmful bacteria. This weakens the immune system, making it harder to recover from illness.

To boost your immune system, try consuming natural probiotics (found in foods like yogurt), which help promote good bacteria in your body.

Inflammation is also a problem in stroke recovery. It is thought that inflammation can increase brain damage and contribute to the spread of ischemic damage after a stroke. Chronic stress leads to inflammation in the body.

People can reduce stress during recovery by practicing exercises such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.

9. Not focusing on nutrition

After a stroke, it can be difficult to get all the nutrients you need, partly because your ability to eat is no longer the same.

However, a healthy diet can reduce your risk of having another stroke by helping to reduce certain risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and weight.

So what should people after a stroke eat?

People after a stroke should eat a variety of foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins such as vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, beans, and milk. , yogurt.

Patients should also limit eating foods containing saturated fat, added salt and added sugar.

10. Overtraining

Exercise is important for stroke recovery. The right amount and intensity of exercise can help you recover faster and reduce your risk of having another stroke.

However, due to the misconception that more is better, many people overtrain. Research shows that excessive and high-intensity activity can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Adequate rest between workouts or rehabilitation sessions is essential.

11. Not thinking about prevention

Stroke survivors are at high risk of having a second stroke or other serious medical problems for at least 5 years after the first stroke. Therefore, stroke prevention is very important.

To prevent recurrent strokes, patients should:

- Drug use management

- Focus on nutrition

- Limit alcoholic beverages

- Exercise regularly

- Quitting smoking

- Lower blood pressure

12. Failing to resolve communication issues

After a stroke, many people develop aphasia, which makes it difficult to understand spoken and written language. Expressive aphasia makes it difficult to think or express words accurately.

This can also make the person after a stroke feel self-conscious, depressed or other negative emotions. If you have expressive aphasia, you should take a deep breath and try to relax before communicating with someone. Relatives should also help the patient say the simplest words, and over time persistently use more complex words.

13. Ignoring post-stroke stress disorder

According to research conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, about one in four stroke victims develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

People with PTSD have distressing, worrying thoughts and feelings related to their experience that persist after the traumatic event has ended. The person may feel chronically fearful, sad, or angry.

They may also feel isolated from others. It is important for anyone with PTSD to be assessed by a doctor or mental health professional so they can get support to overcome the disorder.

Conclude

Recovery from a stroke can be a long process, and no two people recover from a stroke in exactly the same way. Regaining full physical and cognitive function after a stroke requires effort and patience as well as companionship and sharing from family members. It's not certain that everyone can recover well, but it's important to have faith.