Stroke Patient Home Exercise Tips from a Spinal Rehab Center

At iAM ABLE, we are more than just a spinal rehab center. We also specialize in brain trauma, neuro rehab, and stroke recovery. Today, we are going to focus on our stroke patients and provide some home exercise tips. Remember that the number one tip is to consult with your doctor, physical therapist, or another medical professional before changing your home exercise routine, especially after a stroke. 

You will notice that the exercises on this list are a range of motion exercises. You can use active muscles to perform these exercises in a dynamic way. You may also be able to use active muscles to assist paralyzed muscles to perform the exercises passively.  

Stretch Those Forearms 

While seated, put your hands in your lap with your fingers interlaced. Keep one palm face up and bend your wrists forward. You will experience a stretch in the forearm of the hand that is facing palm up. See if you can hold the stretch for 20 seconds with each forearm by switching which hand is facing upward.

Limber Up Your Wrists

This is another exercise that you can perform with interlaced fingers. This time hold your hands out in front of you and take turns bending each wrist backward for 20 seconds. Remember that if any of these stretches hurt, you should stop right away. Stretching should never be painful.

Two Stretches for Your Arms While Seated at a Table

If you have a bottle of water available, we have two more exercises that you can perform while seated at a table. For the first exercise, hold the bottle with both hands. You can just wrap your hands around it from both sides and interlace your fingers. Now drag the bottle around the table, making big circles. Try to make five big circles in one direction. Then pull the bottle in the other direction making five more big circles.  

For the second exercise, place the bottle in the middle of the table, clasp your hands, rest your hands on the table, and gradually reach toward the bottle. When you reach the bottle, see if you can gently nudge it away from you. Don’t push too hard, or you will knock the bottle over. The goal is to stretch your arms forward while using the bottle to provide a little resistance. 

Exercises You Can Perform with a Cane 

Do you use a cane to walk? You can use it as exercise equipment. Here are several exercises that only require a chair and a cane. 

• Reach your arms toward both sides of the cane, trying to hold it as close to the ends as your range of motion will allow. While remaining seated, push the cane toward one side, using it to raise the other arm out to the side. Hold this position for about five seconds and then return to a neutral position. Now stretch to the other side, if possible. You can repeat the exercise on both sides several times. If the activity is too easy, try turning your head in the direction you are lifting the cane to get your torso involved in the stretch.
• While sitting, place both hands on your cane, and place it firmly on the floor next to you. Remain seated, but lean toward the cane, using it to ensure you don’t fall out of the chair. This can help you to get a good torso stretch. Now move the cane to your other side and repeat the stretch. 
• Repeat the previous position with the cane out to one side, but this time, make large circles with the cane as you did with the bottle of water at the table. Again, be sure that the cane is in a position to balance you so that you can’t fall out of the chair. Make five big circles on each side. Don’t lean out further than you feel comfortable. 

The Importance of Range of Motion Exercises After a Stroke 

These exercises will help to improve the range of motion that you have in your arms as well as your torso. Range of motion exercises are essential in order to maintain as much mobility as possible. This is especially true if you are dealing with a degree of paralysis after your stroke. Since paralysis is usually isolated to one side after a stroke, you can actively exercise the healthy side and use the healthy side to exercise the paralyzed side by means of passive stretching. 

When you are recovering from a stroke, you don’t want to get discouraged. That is why we would like to present an eBook to you to help you cope with your circumstances. 

Our Spinal Rehab Center eBook Can Support your Stroke Recovery Efforts 

Our eBook is entitled 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to Thrive after Paralysis. Of course, since we are a spinal rehab center, we often deal with paraplegia and other forms of paralysis. However, the paralysis following a stroke can also be debilitating and discouraging. Our book is here to help you meet the challenges of a lengthy recovery. 

After a stroke, your life may never be the same. However, you can optimize your recovery, regain the maximum amount of independence, and retain your sense of purpose and wellbeing. We are proud to be helping the many recovering stroke patients in southern Florida and across the US to thrive.

Grab our free e-book 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to THRIVE after Paralysis by clicking the image below.