3 Reasons To Undergo Balance Therapy After Having A Stroke

When you're recovering from a stroke, you may have issues with poor balance. Strokes commonly cause muscle weakness in one side of your body, and it's difficult to adjust. In addition, you have nerves running throughout your body called proprioceptors that communicate to your brain where your body is in relation to the objects around you, and the damage from a stroke can result in your brain being unable to receive these signals correctly.

One way that you can improve your ability to walk after a stroke is balance therapy. This is a treatment that involves undergoing activities that challenge your balance in a safe environment, which helps you strengthen your muscles and train your brain to improve your balance. If you've had a stroke and are having issues with your balance afterwards, read on to learn three benefits of undergoing balance therapy.

1. Reduces Your Risk of Falling

One of the most important reasons to seek out balance therapy after having a stroke is that it will help reduce your risk of falling. When you have poor balance, you're more likely to fall when you encounter something unexpected, such as an uneven step in the sidewalk or someone accidentally nudging you backwards while you're waiting in a line. Falls can be a major hazard when you're recovering from a stroke since it can be difficult for you to get back up. Balance therapy will help you learn to deal with these situations while you're in a safe, controlled environment.

2. Helps You Live Independently

Balance therapy also helps you live independently in addition to improving your balance. One of the common techniques used during therapy is performing the normal activities of daily life while being supervised and guided by a therapist. Routine actions like opening a cabinet door above your head or getting up from a reclining chair can be difficult when you have poor balance after a stroke. Balance therapy helps you re-learn how to perform these activities, boosting your ability to function independently in your day-to-day life.

3. Makes You Feel More Comfortable Walking

An unfortunate effect of having poor balance after a stroke is that you may feel uncomfortable while you're walking. You may have a fear of falling or you may feel self-conscious due to an unsteady gait. One facet of balance therapy is gait training, where you'll walk along to the beat of a metronome. Timing your steps to the beat helps to retrain your muscles and your brain, steadying your gait. Building your core strength with balance therapy and reducing your risk of falling helps you alleviate any fears you have about it.

If you've had a stroke and are suffering from balance issues, find a clinic offering balance therapy services in your area and schedule an appointment. You'll be able to reduce your risk of falling and become more comfortable performing the activities you need to do in order to live independently, helping you to recover and adapt to your life after having a stroke