
Physical therapy and exercise are a necessary part of day-to-day life when recovering from a stroke. A physiotherapist will work with a patient to recover some of their mobility, leading to an improved quality of life. Although there are many different exercises and tools one can use to help further their recovery from a stroke, one in particular has been shown to offer a significant benefit to nearly all patients. Cycling, both with the lower body and using an arm ergometer for the upper body, offers patients many benefits.
A stroke may affect mobility
A leading cause of long-term disability in adults is a stroke. One of the most common characteristics of a stroke is hemiparesis, or weakness or paralysis in one side of the body. With hemiparesis often comes the inability to walk without assistance and a dependence on others to complete daily activities like eating, bathing and dressing.
Reciprocal tasks like walking can be very difficult for stroke patients thanks to muscle weakness, spasticity, poor motor control and coordination, imbalance and loss of sensation.
After a stroke it is often recommended that the patient under go specific physiotherapy treatments as soon as possible in order to begin retraining their body to move properly, improve blood flow and maintain muscle strength.
Cycling for Stroke Patients
One of the more beneficial methods of exercise and rehabilitation for stroke patients is cycling. Using an at-home cycle trainer to stimulate the muscles in both arms and legs can help improve movement and walking ability in many ways, including:
- Stimulates reciprocal movement – Walking requires a continuous and repetitive motion that can be difficult or impossible to achieve post stroke. A cycle trainer forces a coordinated and symmetric movement with both legs that can lead to improvements in their gait over time.
- Can be used soon after a stroke – Until a patient is able to engage in gait training to start walking again, a cycle trainer can be used to help rebuild the muscles and brain pathways that have been damaged.
- Isn’t just for use in rehab – Even after daily and weekly therapy sessions are no longer required, a cycle trainer is a great tool for a healthy lifestyle. After a stroke it can be difficult for many patients to maintain an active lifestyle so incorporating time on a cycle trainer can help build a healthy routine. This daily active can even help to prevent repeated strokes.
- Very safe tool in stroke recovery – With a seated or standing cycling trainer there is no balance required so the risk and fear of falling is significantly reduced and most patients can use it almost entirely without assistance.
- Easy to track progress – Cycling outcomes are easy to track and see as a patient progresses from session to session.
- Easy to alter the training regimen – Most cycle trainers have adjustable settings which will allow the user to customize their training session to their specific needs. Adjusting the levels of resistance in order to focus on muscle building (high resistance, low reps) or cardiorespiratory fitness (low resistance, high reps) means that each user will receive a personalized and targeted therapy session.
What is an arm ergometer?
An arm ergometer is just a fancy name for an arm cycle or arm crank. This therapeutic tool allows users to push pedals with their hands and arms, both unassisted and with varying levels of assistance, in order to build muscle strength in the upper body. When a patient is unable to use traditional methods to maintain physical activity, stimulate blood flow and build muscle, the arm ergometer is a perfect option. It can be used while a person is either sitting or standing and will assist a therapist in understanding just how much work the users’ arms are capable of doing.
A cycle and arm ergometer for home use
While a physical therapist likely has a lower body cycle and an arm ergometer for use in the clinic, there is significant benefit to being able to complete some of your physical therapy in a home setting. For this reason, the MedUpV2 bike is an excellent option for stroke recover patients. This sturdy and portable cycle trainer can be used at home for both upper body and lower body training during stroke recovery.
Cycling therapy as part of stroke recovery
Research has shown that using an arm ergometer and leg cycle as part of a recovery plan after a stroke is beneficial for rehabilitation. They can help improve both arm and leg strength as well as cardiovascular health in stroke patients. An occupational therapist is able to customize a patient’s therapy by adjusting the cycle’s resistance to require more or less effort, or by reducing the frequency of breaks during the session. The goal of using an arm cycle is to help strengthen the arms and legs so that a stroke patient is better able to complete tasks like eating, dressing and walking.