Brain stem stroke recovery how to#
Brain stem stroke recovery series#

Brain stem stroke recovery how to#

They often take the form of an acronym, like the popular RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation - a shortcut to remember how to treat a sprain. Mnemonics are creative ways to remember things. Meyers agrees, noting that in her work with patients as a therapist, “creating a routine that is repetitive and consistent can help.”Ĥ. Once you form a routine, it will help you reestablish your memory. Use the alarm on your smartphone or even an old-school clock to remind yourself of appointments and when to take your medications, Dr. Leave notes in visible areas, such as a sign in the bathroom reminding you to brush your teeth, says Stephen Page, PhD, an occupational therapist and associate professor at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University in Columbus. According to the Mayo Clinic, family and friends can also help stroke survivors improve their speech by including them in conversations that encourage them to practice speaking and memory.ģ. Aside from helping people who have trouble with speech due to stroke, speech-language therapy enhances recovery by stimulating the brain to make neural connections from uninjured parts of the brain to those parts affected by stroke, Dr.

Brain stem stroke recovery series#

“Games that require you to use your brain, whether as simple as checkers or complex as chess, can help you regain your memory,” says Allen Kaisler-Meza, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist with a private practice in San Jose, California.Ĭonsider using an app like Constant Therapy, which houses a series of brain exercises at different levels that are specific to improving memory and cognitive function in people recovering from neurological conditions including stroke.Ģ. RELATED: Study Finds Stroke Survivors Benefit From Cardiac Rehab 8 Ways to Regain Your Memory After Strokeġ. But where drugs won’t help, you can take steps with activities, therapy, and rehabilitation to help recover your memory after stroke. In fact, certain medications may actually make memory loss worse, according to the American Stroke Association (ASA). No medication is known to help reverse memory loss after a stroke, Meyers says.

Memory loss can take the form of aphasia, suddenly forgetting words and losing the ability to verbally communicate, forgetting stories or conversations, or not being able to recognize formerly familiar faces or routes.

“Memory deficits after a stroke can vary,” says Melissa Meyers, an occupational therapist at MossRehab in Philadelphia. The extent of your memory loss can depend on how old you are, the severity of your stroke, where your stroke occurred, and even the support you have from family and friends. Just like exercising your muscles can help improve mobility after a stroke, giving your brain a workout is a significant part of stroke recovery. Memory loss is a common symptom of stroke, but there are things you can do to help get your memory back.