HEEL STRIKE, WALK BETTER AFTER A STROKE
HEEL STRIKE. Walk better after a Stroke. While at Toronto Rehab, my PT Team really concentrated on my walking pattern, being sure that I was moving my leg correctly, and not swinging my leg, putting pressure on my hip. They warned me that at 49 years of age, I needed to relearn how to walk properly, to hopefully avoid future hip or knee surgery, caused by a irregular walking pattern or gait.
It took me quite some time to get the hang of what they were trying to do, and I would get frustrated, because my leg did not want to cooperate. Believe it or not, walking is not as easy as it looks, when you are trying to manually rewire the brain, to do something that doesn't feel natural. To try and explain how to walk to a person who suffered a Stroke is next to impossible. However, I came across the video below that really breaks it down, along with simple exercises you can do at home. Check it out. Copy and Paste it in your address bar, is the easiest way to watch.
https://youtu.be/UTs7I-3uXKQ
If you are looking for some devices that will help you perform these exercises, visit us at www.jghrehab.ca. You can see the WEDGE, to help stretch your ankle daily. Five years post Stroke, and I sill stand on my WEDGE for 3-5 minutes stretching my ankle and calf, before I attempt to walk down the stairs. To perform the Leg swing as seen in the video, or you are looking for an extended stretch because your tendons have already shortened, see our PFS Night Splint. I used this at Toronto Rehab and wore it at night, in an effort to stop my tendons from shortening while I slept. If you are still recovering and / or you cannot raise your toes on your own, see the SAEBOSTEP, which will do this for you, and help prevent you from tripping. I still use my SAEBOSTEP while at the beach in the water. I do not want to catch my toes and trip while in the water.
If you want to learn more about Stroke, Stroke Recovery, tips, tricks, or advice from a Stroke Survivor and Caregiver, check out our Blog at www.jghrehab.ca, in the top left hand corner of the Home Page.