Shows / Stroke Recovery Rehab
Stroke Recovery Rehab
Your short, five-minute insight into life after stroke, offering practical tips to support recovery.
strokerecoveryrehab.substack.com
Episodes
Stroke Recovery Rehab10 Things to Know About Neuroplasticity as a Stroke Survivor
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change itself in response to its experiences and environment. Most stroke survivors have probably heard a therapist…
Stroke Recovery RehabHallucinations and Vision Challenges After Stroke
Research indicates that hallucinations can be relatively frequent after stroke, and stroke survivors with sleep disturbances or damage to the occipital lobe…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Hidden Mental Health Journey in Stroke Recovery
A lot of healing after stroke isn’t visible. You can look “fine” to others but feel completely different inside as you work through identity shifts…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Benefits of Exercise for Stroke Survivors
Stroke survivor resources often emphasize the importance of exercise, but it’s discouraging to try lifting weights or running when you can hardly move one side…
Stroke Recovery RehabLearning to Drive After Stroke
Driving was one of the most significant, frustrating, and unexpected challenges in the years after stroke. In this episode, I share a few simple tips that…
Stroke Recovery RehabRecovery After an AVM Stroke: Insights from Two Stroke Survivors
In this episode, I share an article that I wrote with my friend and fellow AVM stroke survivor Tracy Myers, where we highlight the common details you learn…
Stroke Recovery RehabCan Creatine Help Stroke Survivors?
Creatine is a popular supplement for enhancing physical performance, but it also has some impressive claims about its potential to support brain health. In…
Stroke Recovery RehabStroke Recovery Perspectives from an Occupational Therapist
In the years after a stroke, recovery can feel like a lonely journey as you seek to rebuild the life you once knew, and it can be difficult to piece together…
Stroke Recovery RehabHow Slacklining Can Benefit Stroke Survivors
Much to my surprise, one of the most effective practices to help my stroke-affected left leg feel more like the leg I remember and less like a thousand-pound…
Stroke Recovery RehabBecoming Someone New After Stroke
After a stroke, you can look “fine” to others but feel completely different inside as you work through identity shifts, frustration, fear of another stroke…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Best Advice I Received After Stroke
Like anyone else, I received some great – and not so great – advice from doctors, therapists, friends, and family members on how I could improve my recovery…
Stroke Recovery RehabAvoiding Learned Helplessness After Stroke
Learned helplessness is an underrated challenge in stroke recovery. How do you push yourself safely when you’re not sure what your true abilities may be? In…
Stroke Recovery RehabNavigating the Emotional Challenges After Stroke
Stroke can fundamentally change who we are, how we process information, and how we react to situations. Feelings of irritability, confusion, anger, and anxiety…
Stroke Recovery RehabReturning to the Gym After Stroke
Stroke survivors know that recovery doesn’t end when the physical and occupational therapy sessions end. Instead, you’re often on your own to find a way to…
Stroke Recovery RehabA Simple Nutrition Plan for Stroke Survivors: The 800-gram Challenge
After stroke, just the thought of planning a meal, cooking it, and cleaning all the dishes felt overwhelming for me. It seemed impossible that I could do all…
Stroke Recovery RehabLearning How the Brain Heals
In this episode, I’ll recap an article I recently wrote with the Brain Injury Association of America, reflecting on some lessons learned through four years of…
Stroke Recovery RehabRising to the Challenges of Stroke Recovery
After a stroke, it’s easy to say no to new activities or challenging situations. But while that may feel good in the moment, the comfort trap of learned…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Dangers of Setting Deadlines in Stroke Recovery
The first year after a stroke is often held up as this holy grail of how long it will take to recover. While it is true that significant progress can be made…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Benefits of Walking Backward in Stroke Recovery
In this episode, I share my experiences with walking backward in recovery after stroke and how this simple exercise turned out to be pretty helpful. Studies…
Stroke Recovery Rehab10 Ideas to Sleep Better After Stroke
A good night’s sleep is one of the most important things that can improve recovery after a stroke since it’s critical for neuroplasticity. Unfortunately, a…
Stroke Recovery RehabWhy Constraint-Induced Therapy is Important After Stroke
In this episode, I’ll discuss my experiences with constraint-induced therapy after stroke and how this can be an effective practice for stroke survivors…
Stroke Recovery RehabSimple Breathing Exercises to Manage Anxiety After Stroke
Anxiety is a common side effect of stroke, especially considering people can worry about having another stroke. Research indicates that roughly 20% of stroke…
Stroke Recovery RehabUnderstanding Cognitive Challenges in Stroke Recovery
While cognitive challenges caused by stroke are not visible like physical deficits, they still pose a substantial challenge in recovery. In this episode, I…
Stroke Recovery RehabCreating Your Stroke Recovery Plan for Ongoing Progress
While the road to recovery after a stroke looks different for everyone, creating a personalized structure that supports ongoing progress is one of the most…
Stroke Recovery RehabWhy Mindset Matters in Recovery After Stroke
In this episode, I discuss why mindset is important in recovery after stroke and how our perspectives on situations can sometimes help and hurt us. It’s…
Stroke Recovery RehabWhat is Post-Traumatic Growth After Stroke?
In this episode, I’ll discuss the concept of post-traumatic growth, or how living through a traumatic experience, like a stroke, can make you more resilient…
Stroke Recovery RehabSetting Goals in Stroke Recovery
In this episode, I share how setting monthly goals helped me to make progress in recovery after stroke. In the years since my stroke, setting short-term goals…
Stroke Recovery RehabThree Misconceptions About Stroke Recovery
In this episode, I’ll share some common misconceptions about stroke recovery. While the doctors, nurses, and therapists that I met after stroke largely gave me…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Benefits of Journaling in Recovery After Stroke
Journaling has long been seen as a therapeutic tool to help people navigate their emotions. In this episode, I’ll share why I’ve enjoyed keeping a personal…
Stroke Recovery RehabAccepting Change After Stroke
After a stroke, change is constant From the immediate onslaught of negative physical, mental, and psychological impacts to the years-long recovery journey…
Stroke Recovery RehabHow to Bounce Back After Setbacks in Stroke Recovery
Setbacks are unfortunately a common occurrence for stroke survivors. The cliché “Progress isn’t linear” certainly applies to recovery after stroke. While…
Stroke Recovery RehabCan Beet Juice Help Stroke Survivors?
In this episode, I’ll be sharing why I started drinking beet juice after stroke, along with some interesting research on how beet juice could potentially…
Stroke Recovery RehabImproving Balance After Stroke
Balance issues are one of the most common challenges in recovery after stroke. Due to weakness and a lack of sensation on the stroke-affected side, stroke…
Stroke Recovery RehabHow Meditation Can Benefit Stroke Survivors
In this episode, I’ll share my experiences with meditation in stroke recovery, along with some simple tips that can help stroke survivors who are interested in…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Benefits of Stroke Survivor Support Groups
In this episode, I’ll share my experiences in attending stroke survivor support groups. Over the years, I’ve found talking with other stroke survivors to be a…
Stroke Recovery RehabHow Outdoor Activities Benefit Stroke Survivors
Since my stroke, I’ve often joked with people that I feel like I’m solar-powered. In this episode, I’ll be discussing one of the most important and one of my…
Stroke Recovery RehabHow Carbon Diet Coach Supports Recovery After Stroke
In this episode, I share my experience with the app Carbon Diet Coach and how its nutritional guidance helped me in recovery after stroke. Carbon Diet Coach is…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe Power of Mental Practice in Stroke Recovery
In this episode, I’ll be sharing my experience with mental practice in stroke recovery, along with some simple tips on how these exercises can support stroke…
Stroke Recovery RehabThe 5 Best Books I Read in Stroke Recovery
When I finally felt comfortable starting a new book and reading some stroke recovery literature, I was overwhelmed by all of the books for stroke survivors…
Stroke Recovery RehabMeasuring Progress in Recovery After Stroke
After a stroke, there is no uniform stroke recovery timeline. Just as they say no two strokes are the same, no two stroke recoveries are alike. Everyone…
Stroke Recovery RehabHow to Use Your Circadian Rhythm to Support Recovery After Stroke
In this episode, I'll share why maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm is an underrated strategy for stroke survivors to improve their recovery after stroke…
Stroke Recovery RehabMancala: The Perfect Board Game for Stroke Survivors
Mancala quickly became a favorite game of mine in the early weeks and months after stroke because it mimicked many of the hand exercises I worked on in therapy…
Stroke Recovery RehabFighting Fatigue in Stroke Recovery with Yoga Nidra
Every stroke survivor knows how frustrating fatigue can be after stroke. In this article, I wanted to share how a yoga nidra meditation practice has helped me…
Stroke Recovery RehabWelcome to Stroke Recovery Rehab
Welcome to the Stroke Recovery Rehab podcast, your short, five-minute insight into life after stroke. In upcoming episodes, I’ll share my experiences in…