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This post is thanks to Flint Rehab and the link to the original post is below. Learn why post stroke exercise is so important and how to gauge how much exercise to do.
How Much Exercise After Stroke Is Enough? Every stroke patient will benefit from a different amount/level of exercise because every stroke is different. However, for the sake of this article, here’s a quick rule of thumb: Move a little every day, and you’ll be better off than not exercising. If you struggle with post-stroke paralysis, even passive exercise or stretching counts. But beyond a little daily movement, you’ll be in the best shape if you move strategically every day. Here’s what we mean by strategic: What’s the Best Strategy for Stroke Exercise?The purpose of exercise after stroke is to rewire the brain through neuroplasticity. Since neuroplasticity is activated by repetition, your strategy should involve emphasizing repetition during your physical therapy stroke rehab exercises. The more you repeat each exercise, the better you will get at making that movement. But how much repetition is enough? Meditation has gone main stream. Today, 18 million Americans practice some form of meditation. And with contemporary medical experts claiming that regular practice of this ancient activity improves well-being and health, the trend well continue. But what is meditation; why has it increased in popularity and credibility; and can it be a partner to a physical fitness program? Let’s look at the roots of meditation, some common misconceptions about its purpose, a few examples of meditation techniques, and the benefits of practice.
The Roots of Meditation East Asian philosophers have studied the science of mind, consciousness and emotions for thousands of years. Hindu texts dating back more than 4,000 years describe meditation. Buddhist monks formalized ritual meditation about 2,500 years ago. And by 200 AD, Christian monks were meditating to draw closer to God. In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate purpose of meditation is to liberate the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated, or “enlightened,” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calmness of mind and sense of inner balance. This mental discipline is honed through years of practice and is challenged daily by life’s experiences.  So many times when you hear talk about Preppers or see shows on the subject, the conversation is about Doomsday and bunkers. There tends to be a social stigma with some people about prepping for a disaster. As we have seen in the last few weeks and from the history of my lifetime, this should be further from the truth.
I can remember where I was and what I was doing when the news reports came on regarding 9-11. I lived in Chicago at the time and reached out to love ones as they went about their daily activities. People where going everywhere. Traffic was congested. Phone lines where busy. It was very chaotic. Then, following years later, came the reports and news of Katrina, Sandy and Ike. Fast forward to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and possibly Irma on its way toward north America. Whether you or your family members live in coastal regions or not, life is full of uncertainty, which ironically, is our only certainty. I remember being in DeKalb, IL in June of 1987, standing in the living room of a friend's apartment and experienced an earthquake. It was quick and uneventful, but yet very real. So how ready are you for the uncertainty of life? We do so many things to prepare for the "what if" of life. We buy insurance for our health and property. We buy homes to house things and provide shelter and safety from people and the elements. We educate ourselves and our children in hopes of a prosperous future. Even with all we do, there is still a magnitude of uncertainty in life. Yet, being prepared can effect the "what if". Watching the news reports of Hurricane Harvey and seeing people get fed, I was concerned about all the people with food intolerance. Having Celiac Disease, I considered what I would do if my only option was to eat whatever food was placed before me. Seventy-two hours is the time estimated it takes relief organizations to mobilize and begin to provide services when a disaster hits. Lucky for me, I have a Prepper food kit in an air tight, water tight mobile container that is gluten sensitive and will feed 4 people for 72 hours with and expiration date, well over a decade. With food intolerance, I can't rely on anyone having food that would not make me sick. Some say...if that is all you have, you will eat it. For me, that is just not true. The pain and suffering would be too unbearable to do that to myself, especially under already stressful circumstances. I came across a web post entitled, "Are You Prepared to be Gluten Free in an Emergency" by Dr. Osborn on the Gluten Free Society website. Check out his 12 tip for prepping. Many of them are good regardless of the need for gluten free or not. Make a plan for yourself and your family for communication, to shelter in place or evacuation. We never really know when the "what if" will come. .  Now that you know causes of stroke and that stroke is leading in Millennials and Generation X, lets look at the signs of stroke. If you are aware of the stroke acronyms FAST and BEFAST, you be wondering what this infographic is a about.
FAST is for;
I prefer the posted infographic, because, like me, many stroke victims did not have the FAS part of FAST. In fact, I did not have any of those signs, so I did not do the T and yet drove myself to the ER. As with many, I had numbness on one side of my body and a severe headache. I was also very anxious and my heart was racing. So, don't get stuck on FAST or BEFAST. I have heard from some people that they became unconscious, even waking up days and weeks later having been in a coma, remembering nothing or very little. The one thing that can't be agreed on is that when a stroke occurs, TIME is of the ESSENCES. There are interventions that can reduce or even reverse the outcome of stroke if treated within less than 3 hours of first onset. Since stroke signs can be from standard to obscure, most people don't realize they are having a stroke nor do they get conformation within that time frame. I always say...if in doubt, check it out. I hope you will pass this on to the people you know and those you love. There is no one whom has had a stroke whose life is not changed forever, in one way or another. Help me spread the word about stroke. How do you know if you have an issue with gluten if you have any of the other diseases or complications? One thing people do is a 21 day elimination diet. To do this, you need to eliminate wheat, rye, barley and I also suggest malt and oats from your diet for 14 days. At about 1 week, you are liable to feel like crap as the body detoxes. Then between, day 7 and 14, you are on the upswing. Then you begin to eat gluten items again. For a week moving toward 21 days, you will know how you are affected by gluten. Now oats may not be an gluten item but they are usually contaminated by wheat production so I throw them in. I eat some “certified gluten free oats” from Trader Joe's after being diagnosed and I was in bed for 3 days. Let’s talk tests: People with Celiac Disease who eat gluten have higher than normal levels of certain antibodies in their blood. These antibodies are produced by the immune system because it views gluten as a threat. You must be on a gluten-containing diet for antibody (blood) testing to be accurate. So if you go gluten free, feel better off gluten and then want to get blood tested, they are going to tell you to eat gluten for several week to raise the antibodies to get a more accurate result. Sounds daunting right? Keep eating something that you realized is making you not feel so go.
If you still believe you have issues after testing negative or with a positive test, the gold standard is a biopsy of the small intestine which is the only way to absolutely diagnose Celiac Disease. There are other antibody tests available to double-check for potential false positives or false negatives. Another such tests are: 2. Total serum IgA: This test is used to check for IgA deficiency, a condition associated with Celiac Disease that can cause a false negative tTG-IgA. If you are IgA deficient, your doctor can order a DGP or tTG-IgG test. 3. Deaminated gliadin peptide (DGP IgA and IgG): This test can be used to further screen for Celiac Disease in individuals with IgA deficiency or people who test negative for tTg antibodies. Link to the Fact Sheet from University of Chicago Celiac Center. In light of Dr. Angelou’s home going and now the post of a stoning video of the young woman, I have been deep in thought and reflection. Mother Maya said, "You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive." This is so true! The sum total of everything. Each of us.
With my recent chronic health issues being labeled, this quote hits me especially hard. When I think of where my life is and where it has been over the years, I have had a good ride. Of course everything has not been roses and ice cream, but in my time on this planet, being a spiritual being having a physical experience, I have done many things to be proud of. But as God has not taken my last breath away yet, I know my work is not done. "The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind." As a Zen practitioner, I consistently strive to live present in the moment. Yet, I must plan, to the best of my ability for the future. I can’t go blindly into the day and hope the lights stay on and that whole, clean food appears. Yet the big question for me right here and now, is how will I live my last days? What impact will I make on/for my son and the world? Dr. Angelou also said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." So, what is my legacy? What will I leave for others to be proud of, to remember about how I made them feel and to know the presence of God in my life?” I promise to spend my last days making you feel something and I hope by feeling something, it moves you to act in the lives of others. "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." |
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