Table of contents:
- I am worried about falling over this balance problem. Is there help available?
- What kind of help is available for balancing problems?
- Retrain balance
Stroke can affect part of your balance system. Normally your body can handle minor problems, but if they are more severe, your system will not be able to work effectively and it may feel unbalanced.
I am worried about falling over this balance problem. Is there help available?
Balance disorders increase your risk of falling. This is a common cause of accidents that can lead to serious injury. You can go to the hospital where they will examine and treat:
- Any other conditions you have that might increase your risk of falling
- Make sure your medicines don't have side effects that increase your risk of falling
- Your eyesight
- Your feet and footwear, and your home environment to see if there is anything else that increases your risk of falling or if it is simply a matter of adaptation (such as a handrail when you take a step or a seat to help you during a shower, can help)
If you have fallen and feel unbalanced and are at risk of injuring yourself, your doctor may refer you to a balance training center. Tell the expert that you routinely go to the doctor and it is your doctor who refers the expert according to your request.
What kind of help is available for balancing problems?
Post-stroke dizziness that affects the brainstem rarely lasts a long time. Problems caused by a stroke indicate that you cannot move right away. Being unable to move for a long time can affect how long your balance problem will take to improve. Trying to move as soon as possible will help your recovery.
Development tends to be faster in the first few days or weeks after a stroke but can continue slowly for months or even years. However, everyone is different and there is no fixed time for sure when the condition will improve. As with all the physical effects of a stroke, a physiotherapist can suggest therapy or exercise that can help with recovery. Most people will see a physiotherapist while in the hospital. If you are at home, your doctor can refer you to a physiotherapist.
Retrain balance
There is good research evidence that exercise and balance retraining are effective ways of treating balance problems. To be effective, exercise needs to:
- Intensive - You need to do as much as you can and as often as possible
- Individual - You need to practice what you find difficult
- Functional - You need to practice everyday activities that you find difficult, such as standing and sitting, try to turn the surface uneven and there are some obstacles, change direction and speed, climb stairs
- Progressive - You need to do challenging activities when you can do an activity to improve your condition.
Exercises may include taking steps, moving from a sitting to a standing position, practicing grabbing objects and standing on uneven surfaces. Treadmill workouts are useful. As part of the program, it can help to gradually increase your stamina. These programs may be available in the physiotherapy section where you train, or many areas offer a 'workout prescription scheme' (different names are used in different areas) where you can work with a fitness trainer who is trained to work with people with disabilities in gyms. local. Your doctor can tell you the options available near your place.
