 It’s Therapy Tuesday with Peg Again!! Every night I make my agenda for the following day and it primarily involves my therapy right now. And because everything I am reading says the same thing, it is incredibly important for Post Stroke persons to be repetitious and consistent with their exercises. I am focused on my right-side arm/hand at the moment - and while I am experiencing improvement, there is still a way to go. My shoulder, bicep/tricep and elbow have definitely shown the greatest improvement. My hand - my fingers and my wrist - need extra work! I have found some extra work for my wrist, and want to share with you now. One of my therapies I do everyday is that of the Arm Peddler (I shared this with you on 10/23/18). Now after I finish Arm Pedaling for approximately 30 minutes, I use the Arm Peddler to bend my wrist back and forth on the handle so that my wrist can “feel” the bending again. I do this for at least 25 times. I am making sure that I am “engaging” my brain with the bending of my wrist each time.  I am also bending my wrist with my other hand when I am watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune! I am making sure that the bending is being accomplished by my affected right wrist.
God Bless, Peg “Live life to its fullest, and focus on the positive.” -- Matt Cameron
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 Welcome Back to Therapy Tuesday with Peg!! I have started doing a lot of research/reading for myself about Electrical Stimulation (ES) therapy, & its treatment, particularly with restoring function, after a stroke. ES therapy has given patients with neurological problems a better quality of life. I was fortunate to have been introduced to ES therapy earlier, and now I want to rediscover what it can do for me in addition to my physical therapy.
ES has been around for over 2000 years!! It started with the use of live torpedo fish delivering an electric current for pain treatments!! In recent times, though, ES has been used in pacemakers, ear implants, & other physical/nerve stimulations. Muscle spasticity is a common problem for stroke survivors, & perhaps one of my biggest problems now! The involved muscles develop a resistance to being stretched - & this I can certainly feel with my right arm/hand. While Electrical Stimulation works for many, it is not for everyone, especially those with a cardiac pacemaker or a defibrillator. And there are certain parts of the body the ES should not be used on. ES devices have been developed for use in homes as well as rehab facilities. Neuromuscular ES (NMES), specifically Functional ES (FES) that compensates for voluntary motion, & Therapeutic ES (TES) aimed at muscle strengthening & recovery, are greatly used in stroke rehab. The MOST CURRENT USE & RESULTS of devices in Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for my stroke rehab is of utmost interest to me right now, as is the continued need to choose the best therapies & the continued need to retrain my brain along with my arm/hand. I will continue to share what I am finding with you here, along with my exercises & the progress that my exercises are providing!! God Bless!
The exercise I am introducing today works multiple parts of me - my ARM/HAND/FINGERS - at the same time. I like to use a GOLF BALL for this exercise because (1) it is the right size for my index finger & thumb (my "pinchers") to grab & drop, (2) it is the right weight for my affected hand to hold onto, and (3) it certainly brings back very great memories of Annie’s golf, which encourages me during my therapy better than anything!!
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Sit comfortably in a cushioned chair. 2. Place a blanket on top of your lap to catch the golf ball & avoid it from falling. The blanket also helps during the pickup stage. 3. Pick up the golf ball with your index finger & thumb. 4. Lift your arm up with the golf ball - use your unaffected arm (in my case, my left) to assist. 5. Drop the golf ball onto the blanket (on top of your lap). Be sure to OPEN your INDEX FINGER & THUMB to drop the golf ball. 6. Do this lift & drop exercise (at least) 25 times. Be sure to check out my Instagram posts at “poststrokepeg.” God Bless You, Peg “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” --Paulo Coelho  Hi there! It’s THERAPY TUESDAY again & it’s not Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. I hope you had a safe & happy & healthy holiday! Welcome 2019!! Today I want to first take some time to review with you what I’ve shared so far since I started this website & introduced my personal therapies. I listed for myself what I have posted on my website & below is a summary. So far, in the 3 months that I’ve been sharing therapy ideas with you, I’ve done 16 separate therapy-related posts. I try to keep it to Therapy Tuesdays - so that’s about right! Here is the summary... Legs/Feet 5 posts Even though I’ve spent less time sharing exercises with you on my legs/feet, I’ve accomplished standing/walking quicker than my arm movement. This is probably because I have to walk, using both legs/feet, to get anywhere!! So while I am not “exercising,” I am “exercising” my legs/feet!! Arms/Hands 8 posts I need to incorporate more (not just quantity, but quality) arm/hand therapy to get similar results as my right leg/foot. I understand that the brain has to connect with the physical side - now I am going back to working on that more & more!! I am becoming more of a “left-hander” & so I think I should be able to become more of a “right-hander!” I just have to engage more of my brain!! Combo 1 post This is my use of the walker for walking & it also works my wrist! When I posted it, one of the guys I used to work with, who also suffered an early stroke, commented on my improved gait & speed!! (And how quick the improvement is taking place!!) Other 2 posts One of these was my very first - how I got here - what my ailments are. The other is a Warm-Up therapy that I do in the morning & throughout the day. It’s what I call Kisses - to warm up my arm/elbow & then Leg Pedal to warm up my legs.  I also want to let you know that I am doing other exercises that I haven’t shared yet but will do so. Things such as working with lifting & dropping a Golf Ball into my lap (placing a blanket on my lap). I use a golf ball because it is the correct size, correct weight & it has excellent sentimental value! It works my fingers in my right (affected) hand. I do this every evening when I’m watching Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune. The other day I managed to actually lift my right arm by itself & pick a golf ball out of a 4” x 4” x 4" box - raise it up (by itself) - & then drop it back into the box! I repeated this exercise 10 times & made sure my brain was paying full attention!
Another exercise I am doing is Walking Barefoot!! I walk barefoot in the bathroom before & after I shower to get the feeling in my right leg/foot of walking without the AFO on!! This also retrains my brain that my right leg (especially my right calf) & foot can walk like they used to before my stroke!! Even last night I walked barefoot on the carpet - 10 times around our big bed!! This really allows my right leg/foot (& brain) to retrain themselves!! Tom was behind me every step of the way to act as support if I needed any!! I cannot believe I did 10 trips around the bed!! We are adding that to my list of daily therapies!! And, I have other ideas to share with you - not just therapy, per se, but things that work as “therapy.” I will introduce my Cleaning (scrubbing, for example, or making the bed every morning which involves bending and stretching), Doing Laundry (including hanging & folding clothes fropm the dryer) & Doing Dishes. Sometimes when I stop doing ALL the therapies, for example the leg therapies (such as the Chair Raise-Ups) we notice that my right leg shows tire & lack of coordination. That simply means I cannot stop any of these therapies/exercises AT ALL!! I am also revisiting the exercises I did before I started my website. I will add back those that are helpful & I will include them in Therapy Tuesdays! One of the very important matters that I addressed in my earlier discharge from the hospital(s) that I want to address again is … BRAIN SPECIFIC MATTERS - This is something I really need to focus on again - MY BRAIN!! My short-term memory is getting better but has a way to go. My speech is getting much better - at least many peaple are telling me so. I can read & follow directions. I want to start really figuring out what "level" I am currenrly at & can get to. What I did before that I will resume again now - (1) Reading Outloud Fast, (2) Face Exercises (on an app - I'll find it again), (3) do Lumosity (I'll find that again), and (4) do CT (another APP which we are buying again). I will share each of these 4 with you in greater detail as I get more to share! God Bless, Peg “Take baby steps, and keep going.” -- (Quote - source unknown to me)  The exercise I am introducing today works multiple parts of the body at the same time. It addresses my affected side & works my entire arm - shoulder, elbow, wrist & hand. It also addresses my ability to walk by increasing my gait and my ability to turn.   INSTRUCTIONS
1. Work on a floor that is even, straight and “bump” free. (Be able to move about 50-60 feet each way.) 2. Lift hands onto handles of walker. 3. Again, walk 50-60 feet each way - keeping feet straight. Be sure to keep hand firmly on the walker handle. 4. Turn carefully. Alternate turning left and right during the exercise. 5. Walk each direction at least 5 times. 6. Let hands come off handles of walker slowly to your side. Be sure to check out my Instagram posts at “poststrokepeg.” God Bless You, Peg “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says "I'm possible!" - Audrey Hepburn |
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