After someone suffers from a stroke, the recovery process can sometimes be very difficult and prolonged. In fact, many people who suffer from a stroke are often permanently disabled. They need the assistance of a professional caregiver in some way, either as an occasional part-time in-home care specialist, or the around the clock intensive care that a nursing home provides.
Exercise has many positive health effects. New research shows that exercise has the potential to speed up the recovery process in some cases. A study looking at lab mice found that those that had free access to a running wheel were better able to maintain macular dominance plasticity than those that did not have a wheel to run on. This study was conducted in Germany, and the goal was to see if physical activity alone could give mice the same protections within their brains that were found to occur when mice exercised and received various stimuli.
This study revealed information that both confirmed existing thought on the subject, and provided some exciting new insight into how those that have suffered a stroke are impacted. First, exercise protects aging brains. Scientists have known this for quite some time, and this study was yet another piece of evidence to support this fact. Additionally, researchers also saw that the benefits that exercise provides extend to helping the brain recovery from disabilities.
Researchers believe that this new information will help those that are at risk of having a stroke or have already suffered from one. Things like physical and occupational therapy have been shown to be helpful, but they can only do so much. Exercise helps the brain to develop new pathways for transmitting information, and this is often one of the big obstacles that is present when someone attempting to recover from a stroke struggles against.
Exercise is not a guaranteed answer to helping those that have had a stroke recover completely. There are still many instances where exercise will not help someone to regain the high quality of life that they once had. However, it does show potential when it comes to helping people improve, especially in those cases where other things have not helped. The obvious difficulty that arises is that many of those that have suffered from a stroke might not be able to exercise. But if exercise of any sort is possible, it should be done. Even a little bit done with consistency will provide benefits. And in the battle that is stroke recovery, every advantage that you can give yourself or a loved family member is a good thing.
Exercising long before a stroke occurs is the best way to make use of this information. If you have an elderly loved one that is at risk of a stroke, encourage them to find a type of activity that is not only safe for them, but that they enjoy. If they have already had a stroke, work with their doctor to find a way to help them exercise in safety in addition to any other prescribed recovery techniques.
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