How everyday life changes with post-stroke spasticity
With spasticity many aspects of everyday life can be difficult and arduous and sometimes even become extremely challenging. The following areas may be affected:
- Eating and cooking
- Dressing
- Housekeeping
- Mobility (walking to the supermarket or to work)
- Sleep quality
- Personal hygiene
- Posture
Depending on the location and extent of the spasticity these effects can range from mild impairment of activities of daily living to severe limitations in patients’ private and professional lives.
Patients may need help with activities that they could previously do naturally and completely independently. These might be very personal or intimate activities, such as daily hygiene, preparing a meal or getting dressed. Patients may also find it difficult to pursue their careers as usual or indeed at all.
Support is key: Post-stroke spasticity patients must not be left to cope alone.
Specialist doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists as well as self-help organizations are always on hand to give help and advice. Although not curable, with the research and development of modern treatment methods and their application spasticity is now easily treatable. Often treatment can ease patients’ symptoms to such an extent that they can resume their everyday activities and largely regain their quality of life.
The aim of this page is to help patients, family members, carers and interested parties to get in touch with specialists, other patients and helpers, who will encourage them and help them pick up their normal daily lives again.
Spasticity – who can help me?
- Make an appointment with your GP: They can refer to you neurology specialists and physiotherapists.
- Patient communities: Talk to other people who live with spasticity. You can share experiences and encourage each other.
- Care Managers: Specialist carers are trained to help you get back to work and resume your everyday life.
55 – How important are people around you after a stroke?
In the 55th video of the video campaign Kasia describes what the post-stroke experience is like, especially when it comes to friends and how to deal with it. It is very difficult for both sides, but it would be very helpful and also nice to know that you can rely on friends and family.
9 – Do you have any advice for stroke survivors with spasticity?
In the ninth episode of our video campaign David Britt talks about his advice for stroke survivors who are experiencing post-stroke spasticity to get involved and seek advice from specialists.
12 – Did your caregiver/relative support you in the way you needed?
In the twelfth episode of our video campaign David Britt describes the importance of familiar support to deal with a stroke.
19 – What advice would you give to stroke survivors?
You need some advice by stroke patients? Listen to David Britt in our nineteenth video of our video campaign. He speaks about his personal experiences dealing with the stroke.
21 – What advice would you give to carers of stroke survivors
In our twenty-first video of our video campaign an old acquaintance, David Britt comes back. He collects many useful hints for carers of stroke survivors.
56 – How helpful are support groups?
In the 56th video of the video campaign Kassia tells about the support groups and that there is no offline group in her city, but that you can also use social media groups and no question is left unanswered.
57 – How important is to keep hope alive?
In the 57th video of the video campaign Kasia mentions how important it is to have hope. Hope to herself and to others. It is also nice for her to see that in a group all are happy for others when someone has made it and was successful.
42 – What advice do you have for your fellow stroke survivors?
In the forty-second video of our video campaign, Ivan Umek is talking about how to deal with the situation and what helped him the most.
44 – What advice do you have for partners and relatives?
In the forty-fourth video of the video campaign, Ivan Umek's wife shares her helpful tips how she helped him with his disease.