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–   AUGUST 2022   –

How our physiotherapists can help with vision loss caused by a stroke

 

If your vision was impacted by having a stroke, you might wonder how a physiotherapist is going to be able to do anything to help. The good news is that there are many things we can do to support you, so you can become more independent in your own home environment.

Challenges you might be experiencing

Depending on the severity of your vision loss, these are some of the things you might be dealing with since your stroke:

Bumping into things (door frames and furniture) because your brain is struggling to process visual information.

Not being able to see people or objects in your line of vision on the affected side e.g. your loved one might be sitting at your hospital bedside but you mightn’t realise if it is in your blackspot of vision.

Finding it harder to keep your balance.

Needing help to cross the road or to navigate environments outside of your home because it is harder to move across unfamiliar surfaces safely.


What we can do to help

We use several different strategies to help our clients, in varying combinations, depending on the type of stroke that caused the vision loss, and the type of vision loss experienced. These include:

Conducting a thorough, in-depth assessment to establish exactly what the stroke is impairing and identify areas that can be worked on to improve your independence and quality of life. 

Educating you and anyone else who is working with you in a caring capacity to fully understand what goals you are working to, and easy things they can help you implement to help you reach those goals quicker.

Teaching you how to compensate for the vision loss. For example, for balance, your body relies not just on vision but two other systems as well: the somatosensory system – sensation on your skin / joint position sense; and vestibular system – which provides your brain with information about spatial orientation, head position and motion. If you are experiencing balance issues, we would help you learn ways you can rely more on these systems, instead of your vision.

For free resources relating to how you can you help yourself after having a stroke, this website has a wealth of useful information: https://enableme.org.au/


If you need neuro-physiotherapy support in Melbourne, please book a free 15-minute consultation with our team here at Active Edge Physio so that we can advise on the best ways to help you. Alternatively, complete the referral form online and we’ll be in touch within 24 hours (on week days) to explore the best way forward.

 

 

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