The physical effects of a stroke can be treated by re-training training your nerve pathways. That is what physical therapists specialize in.
A stroke is a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) that results in dead nerve tissue.
But there is still hope if you’ve had a CVA or other injury. Even if some nerve cells are damaged, the remaining nerves have the remarkable ability to “find another way” or compensate to execute the same functions they would have previously been able to.
This ability can be trained using physical therapy. That is why it’s important to seek physical therapy after a stroke as part of the injury recovery process.
Injury Recovery: How Nerve Cells Die During A Stroke
During a cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, nerve cells are killed. This is how it happens.
The nerve cells in the brain and body are incredibly active. As such, they are supplied with a steady flow of blood from the arteries and capillaries in the body. When there is a blockage in that blood flow, the nerve cells can only survive for a few moments before they die.
A stroke is called a cerebrovascular accident because there is an interruption of that blood flow to the nerves of the brain.
However, the same thing can happen to the nerves elsewhere in the body if a blockage or trauma happens. For example, if someone is in a bad car accident and experiences nerve damage, it is likely that those nerve cells will also die.
Stroke Affects Physical Therapy, Learning, and Memory
Once nerve cells are dead, it is true that they will not be able to grow back.
However, what is possible is that the remaining nerve cells of the brain and body remember what functions they are supposed to execute. For example, if you suffered a stroke and lost the ability to use some portion of your body, the nerve cells that have not died in your brain and body will “know” that that part of the body is supposed to move.
They can be encouraged and cultivated to form new neural pathways, finding a new way to execute the same tasks. Basically, by practicing, you can re-learn how to use that part of your body.
When you first learned a new skill, you had no neural pathways for the messages to get from the brain to your body. You had to create them, over time, with sustained effort and practice.
That’s how it was when you learned how to walk, that’s how it was when you learned how to drive, and that’s how it will always be whenever you learn to do something new. However, practice makes this process easier.
How Physical Therapy Speeds Injury Recovery
If you’ve had a stroke, you essentially have to start again. You have to learn an entirely new skill, form entirely new pathways – even though you may have once known how to do it.
Physical therapy provides a safe, encouraging environment for you to practice acquiring a brand-new skill. A physical therapist knows exactly what techniques are most effective to help you learn the skill as fast as possible.
Sometimes after an injury or CVA, there is not a total loss of skill. Sometimes there is just numbness, tingling, or weakness. These are signs of damaged, but not destroyed, nerve cells.
These symptoms can also be treated by training your nerve pathways to work together with your muscles again.
Physical Therapy for Cerebrovascular Injury Recovery
Experiencing a stroke or major accident that affects your nervous system function can be very tough. The emotional toll is high. But good physical therapists know how to work with you to encourage you, support you emotionally, and lead you to your maximum recovery.
If you or someone you know has suffered a stroke or nervous system injury in the South Orange, NJ area, contact us today to find out how we can help. We support our patient’s total well-being, including their mental, physical, and emotional needs.
